v 


HAWAII  AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION 

HONOLULU,  HAWAII 

Under   the   supervision   of  the 
UNITED   STATES    DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE 


BULLETIN  No.  55 


Washington,  I).  C. 


November,  1926 


BANANA  CULTURE  IN  hawji!(Mt^!J 


By  W.  T.  Pope,  Horticulturist 


CONTENTS 


History  and  distribution 

Nomenclature 

Characters 

Composition  and  food  value. 
Propagation 


Page 

1 
2 
3 
8 
12 


U.S.  DEPOSI1QBY 


Cultural  requirements — T3" 

Harvesting  and  shipping 19 

Enemies 21 

Description  of  varieties 24 

Literature  cited 47 


Banana  culture  in  the  Hawaiian  Islands  has  received  much  atten- 
tion since  the  establishment  of  the  Hawaii  Experiment  Station  in 
1901,  and  especially  since  the  close  of  the  World  War,  when  interest 
in  the  crop  increased.  Banana  production  now  ranks  third  in  im- 
portance of  the  local  agricultural  industries,  and  the  fruit  surpasses 
all  other  food  crops  in  yield  per  acre.  The  Territory  has  a  dozen 
banana  varieties  of  commercial  value,  four  of  which  are  known  to 
export  trade,  and  several  others  have  commercial  possibilities. 

This  bulletin  directs  attention  to  the  comparatively  easy  culture 
of  the  banana  in  Hawaii,  where  large  areas  can  be  brought  into 
fruit  production  in  a  short  time.  The  plant  has  few  enemies  such  as 
insect  pests  and  diseases  and  is  seldom  damaged  by  the  wind,  and 
demand  for  the  fruit  is  growing  on  the  markets  of  the  mainland. 
Local  demands  for  fruit  of  a  higher  grade  also  are  increasing.  The 
banana  is.  for  these  reasons,  deserving  of  greater  scientific  study 
than  it  has  yet  received. 

HISTORY  AND  DISTRIBUTION 

The  origin  of  the  banana  and  the  story  of  its  development  through 
the  centuries  is  of  considerable  importance  to  modern  agricultural 
science.  The  plant  is  believed  to  be  indigenous  to  the  warm,  moist 
regions  of  southern  Asia,  and  was  found  in  cultivation  in  vast  areas 
in  the  valley  of  the  Indus  as  early  as  3*27  B.  C.  by  the  army  of 
Alexander  the  Great.  Bas-reliefs  on  the  monuments  of  ancient 
Assyria  and  Egypt  indicate  its  early  culture,  and  recent  investiga- 
tions regarding  its  early  history  and  morphological  development 
show  that  it  was  one  of  the  first  foods  of  man  and  also  one  of  the 
earliest   plants  to  be  cultivated   by  him.     Eraser    (12)1  states  that 

2  Reference  is  made  by  number  (italic)  to  Literature  cited,  p.  17. 

11SG2°— 20 1  1 


2  BULLETIN    55,    HAWAII   EXPERIMENT   STATION 

early  inhabitants  of  the  East  believed  that  the  banana  plant  was 
the  source  of  good  and  evil  and  that  the  serpent  which  tempted  Eve 
hid  in  a  bunch  of  the  fruit.  Undoubtedly  this  legend  influenced  the 
early  classifiers  who  designated  two  species  of  the  plant  as  Musa 
paradisiaca  (Fruit  of  Paradise)  and  M.  sapientum  (Fruit  of 
Knowledge). 

The  banana  is  widely  scattered  over  the  tropical  world  and  is  most 
successfully  cultivated  in  a  hot,  damp  climate.  In  many  countries 
it  is  as  important  to  the  inhabitants  as  are  grain  plants  to  those  living 
in  cooler  regions.  The  northern  limit  of  cultivation,  usually  of  the 
Cavendish  variety,  is  reached  in  Florida  south  of  29°  latitude,  in  the 
Canary  Islands,  and  in  Egypt;  the  southern  limit  in  South  Brazil, 
Natal,  East  Africa,  and  in  the  southern  part  of  Queensland, 
Australia. 

The  term  "  Hawaiian  bananas  "  includes  a  number  of  varieties  in 
use  by  the  natives  when  the  islands  became  known  to  Europeans 
following  the  discovery  by  Captain  Cook  in  1778.  As  a  result  of 
the  study  of  the  people  and  flora  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands  it  is 
thought  that  the  banana  was  dispersed  among  the  Pacific  Islands  by 
the  Polynesians  in  their  migrations,  as  the  bulblike  rhizomes,  when 
partly  dry,  prove  admirably  adapted  to  long  distance  transportation, 
and  varieties  found  growing  in  these  islands  exist  in  other  island 
groups  of  the  tropical  Pacific.  The  Maoli  group  of  bananas,  for 
example,  is  in  many  respects  very  similar  to  that  known  by  the  same 
name  in  other  islands  of  the  south  and  central  Pacific.  There  are 
also  related  varieties  of  both  the  Hawaiian  Iholena  and  Popoulu 
groups.  The  Mai  a  hapai  banana  of  Hawaii  has  the  unusual  habit  of 
maturing  its  fruit  within  the  trunk  (IS,  p.  53),  which  is  characteristic 
of  a  variety  in  Java.  The  Hawaiian  varieties  are  practically  all  of 
the  starchy  plantainlike  kind — most  palatable  when  they  are  cooked — 
and  their  botanical  characters  are  more  like  those  of  varieties  of  the 
species  sapientum  than  of  the  species  paradisiaca,  to  which  the  plan- 
tain is  usually  assigned. 

The  Polynesians  fully  appreciate  the  importance  of  establishing 
these  seedless  food  plants  where  neither  drought  nor  flood  can  exter- 
minate them.  The  corms  are  planted  in  the  higher  mountain  gorges 
where  they  are  insured  against  lack  of  moisture,  and  freshets  aid  in 
distributing  certain  of  the  rootstocks  and  suckers  throughout  the 
valleys  below.  The  response  which  most  of  these  varieties  make  to 
cultivation  gives  evidence  that  they  are  highly  developed  fruit  plants 
which  once  were  adapted  to  cultivation,  but  in  recent  times  have 
lapsed  into  a  semiwild  condition. 

NOMENCLATURE 

The  common  name  "  banana  "  was  adopted  from  the  language  of  an 
African  Kongo  tribe,  and  first  came  into  use  during  the  sixteenth 
century.  Prior  to  that  time  the  fruit  was  called  "  apple  of  Paradise  " 
and  "Adam's  fig."  The  name  "  banana  "  seems  to  have  been  borne 
for  a  long  period  by  the  fruit  which  was  eaten  raw.  The  term 
'*  plantain  "  was  given  to  a  variety  which,  though  closely  related  to 
the  banana,  is  edible  only  after  being  cooked.  Both  these  fruits 
belong  to  the  genus  Musa  of  the  Musacese  or  Banana  family,  natural 
order  Scitaminacese.     The  botanist  Linnaeus   (1707-1778)   gave  the 


BANANA    CULTURE   IN    HAWAII  6 

generic  name  Musa  to  the  banana  group  in  honor  of  Antonius  Musa, 
a  learned  physician  of  the  early  Roman  Empire. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  banana  was  an  important  agri- 
cultural crop  even  before  the  time  of  written  records,  its  specific  and 
varietal  relations  have  never  been  well  defined.  About  1750  an 
attempt  was  made  to  establish  several  of  the  leading  species.  The 
name  sapientum  (affording  wisdom)  was  given  to  the  banana  and 
that  of  paradisiaca  (pertaining  to  Paradise)  to  the  plantain  to 
differentiate  the  species  of  the  genus  Musa.  Later,  the  name  caven- 
dishii  was  given  to  another  species  of  the  banana.  Other  species 
have  since  been  added  and  hundreds  of  so-called  varieties  brought 
into  cultivation,  but  few  have  been  completely  described.  Quisum- 
bing  (7-5,  p.  10)  states  that  77  species  have  been  described.  In  the 
work  of  Baker  (£,  p.  205)  three  subdivisions  of  the  genus  Musa  were 
made:  Eumusa,  Rhodochlamys.  and  Physocaulis.  The  subdivisions 
are  based  on  well  differentiated  characters,  mainly  pertaining  to  the 
floral  parts,  and  are  described  in  detail  by  Fawcett  (11,  p.  263),  and 
in  the  Kew  Bulletin  for  1894  (1). 

What  determines  the  difference  between  bananas  and  plantains  is 
a  problem  under  the  present  method  of  classification.  Some  botanists 
are  of  the  opinion  that  the  species  sapientum  and  paradisiaca  are 
the  same,  with  very  marked  variations,  whereas  others  believe  that 
the  former  is  a  subspecies  of  the  latter.  Schumann  (18,  p.  19) 
places  sapientum  as  a  subspecies  of  paradisiaca.  The  proper  use 
of  the  terms  "  plantain  "  and  "  banana,"  or  the  specific  names  sapi- 
entum and  paradisiaca  is  uncertain,  because  of  the  lack  of  uniform 
nomenclature  for  the  different  forms.  A  variety  has  a  different 
name  in  almost  every  country  where  it  is  grown,  the  standard  com- 
mercial varieties  of  American  trade  proving  no  exception.  The 
most  widely  grown  commercial  variety,  for  example,  is  known  in 
different  places  as  Martinique,  Jamaica,  Gros  Michel,  and  Bluefields. 
The  leading  commercial  banana  of  Hawaii  is  also  known  by  such 
names  as  Cavendish,  Dwarf,  Governor,  and  Chinese.  The  native 
varieties  also  often  have  different  names  in  different  parts  of  the 
same  island.  In  most  banana-growing  countries  a  variety  may  be 
known  by  different  names  in  the  same  locality.  Some  varieties  make 
a  much  greater  vegetative  growth  in  one  localit}^  than  in  another, 
and  may  derive  their  names  from  the  nature  of  their  growth. 

In  Hawaii  several  other  genera  of  plants  which  are  closely  related 
to  the  genus  Musa  include  the  Canna,  Ravenala,  Streiitzia,  and 
Heliconia. 

CHARACTERS 

A  thorough  knowledge  of  the  characters  of  the  banana  plant  is 
essential  to  those  seriously  attempting  its  culture.  The  seedless 
varieties,  by  reason  of  their  easy  culture,  high  food  value,  and 
immense  yields,  have  become  well  established,  whereas  the  function 
of  the  flower  and  the  possibility  of  creating  new  varieties  through 
seed  production  have  not  received  the  attention  they  deserve. 

HABITS  OF  GROWTH 

The  banana  plant,  as  commonly  understood,  is  a  tropical  herba- 
ceous perennial  which  assumes  treelike  proportions,  some  of  the  larger 
species  often  reaching  30  or  more  feet  high.    The  parts  of  the  plant, 


4  BULLETIN    55,    HAWAII   EXPERIMENT    STATION 

though  somewhat  fibrous,  are  coarse  in  structure  and  often  contain 
as  much  as  85  per  cent  water  (16,  p.  IT).  The  trunk  and  large  leaves 
present  an  ornamental  appearance  and  the  flowers  and  fruit  par- 
ticularly are  interesting  botanically. 

ROOTS 

The  root  system  consists  of  two  sets  of  roots,  the  horizontal  and 
the  vertical ;  the  former,  which  is  the  superior,  radiates  from  around 
the  bulb,  whereas  the  latter  extends  downward  from  the  base.  The 
main  roots  are  tough  and  cordlike  and  of  nearly  uniform  thickness 
throughout,  possessing  numerous  short,  threadlike  secondary  roots 
or  rootlets  growing  out  at  right  angles.  Both  main  and  secondary 
roots  bear  numerous  root  hairs,  or  feeders,  which  absorb  liquid  plant 
food  from  the  soil.  The  food  passes  along  the  fibrovascular  system 
of  cells  of  the  roots,  bulb,  and  stems,  to  the  leaves.  Investigation 
shows  that  the  banana  roots,  unlike  those  of  many  other  plants,  can 
not  adapt  themselves  to  adverse  conditions,  such  as  sour  or  heavy 
soil.  The  distance  to  which  they  extend  depends  largely  upon  the 
nature  of  the  soil.  Under  favorable  conditions  the  horizontal  roots 
may  be  found  at  a  depth  of  6  inches  to  2  feet,  and  the  vertical  roots 
6  inches  to  6  feet,  both  growing  at  the  rate  of  2  feet  per  month. 

STEM 

The  true  stem  is  the  underground  "  bulb,"  morphologically  known 
as  a  tuberous  rhizome,  wherein  is  stored  the  starchy  plant  food  used 
in  connection  with  the  central  bud,  root,  and  sucker-bud-producing 
tissue.  The  suckers  rise  from  this  tissue  as  additional  trunks  of  the 
plant  group.  The  trunk  consists  of  a  cylinder  composed  of  coarsely 
constructed  concentric  layers,  each  of  which  is  the  base  of  a  leaf- 
stalk. Combined,  these  layers  protect  the  younger  leaves  and  the 
flowering  stalk.  The  plant  food  is  used  chiefly  in  the  production  of 
suckers  and  the  growth  of  the  fruit.  The  production  of  too  many 
suckers  results  in  poorly  developed  fruit.  A  sucker  may  be  consid- 
ered a  plant  when  it  has  developed  to  a  size  with  sufficient  roots  to 
maintain  its  own  growth  fully. 

LEAVES 

The  leaves  of  the  banana  plant,  consisting  of  leafstalk  and  blade, 
vary  in  number  from  8  to  20  or  more,  depending  upon  the  vigor 
of  the  plant.  Normally,  they  are  8  to  12  feet  long  and  2  feet  or  more 
wide.  Prior  to  expanding,  the  young  leaf  is  cylindrically  rolled  on 
itself,  being  closed  at  the  tip,  possibly  to  prevent  water  from  entering 
the  center  of  the  trunk  where  the  blossom  bud  is  forming.  The 
exposed  portion  of  the  petiole  or  leafstalk,  which  varies  from  one 
to  several  feet  long,  is  almost  cylindrical,  its  raised  edges  forming  a 
distinct  trough  above.  The  leaves  are  so  arranged  as  to  adapt  them- 
selves to  weather  conditions.  When  the  sun's  rays  are  perpendicular 
and  too  intense,  the  blade  collapses,  the  under  surfaces  containing 
the  pores  (stomata)  coming  together  and  thus  protecting  the  plant 
against  too  great  evaporation.  In  wet  and  moderately  cool  weather 
when  growing  conditions  are  very  favorable  the  edges  of  the  blade 
curve  upward,  permitting  increased  evaporation,  which  is  necessary 


1 


Bui.  55,  Hawaii  Agr.  Expt.  Station 


Plate  1 


_  m 

25~ 


m 


A.— The  flowers  of  the  Chamaluco  variety  are  typical  in  form  of  parts  of  those  of  most  varieties 
of  seedless  bananas.  (1)  Pistillate  flower:  a,  perianth,  b,  petal  of  corolla,  c,  rudimentary 
stamens,  d,  style  of  pistil,  e,  stigma,  /,  ovary  which  becomes  fruit;  (2)  neutral  flower;  (3) 
staminate  flower:  c\  Stamen  with  anther,  /',  rudimentary  ovary 

B.— The  characters  of  the  flowers  of  different  varieties  of  bananas  are  of  importance  in  their 
identification.  Staminate  flowers,  reading  from  left  to  right:  Top 'row, 'Apple,  Abaca,  Bra- 
zilian, Chamaluco,  and  Borabora;  lower  row,  Father  Leonore,  ilamakua,  Iholena,  Largo, 
and  Dwarf  Plantain 


Bui.  55,  Hawaii  Agr.  Expt.  Station 


PLATE   2 


BANANA  CULTURE  IN   HAWAII  5 

for  rapid  growth.  The  crude  plant  food  which  has  been  absorbed 
by  the  roots  and  carried  up  the. ..stem  is  transformed  in  the  leaf, 
Whence  it  is  distributed  where  needed  to  build  plant  tissue. 

FLOWERS 

The  following  is  a  brief  description  of  the  floral  parts: 

The  ovary,  or  basal  part  of  the  pistillate  flower,  later  becomes 
the  fruit.  The  ovaries  of  neutral  and  staminate  flowers  remain 
rudimentary  and  perish.  The  perianth,  corresponding  to  the  calyx 
of  any  typical,  complete  flower,  is  the  protective  covering  of 
the  more  delicate,  essential  organs  known  as  stamens  and  pistils. 
The  corolla  is  much  modified  in  the  banana  flower,  usually  being 
represented  by  a  single  free  petal,  with  sometimes  three  petals,  as  in 
the  Ice  Cream  variety  and  the  common  plantain.  The  petal  usually 
holds  the  nectar  surrounding  the  base  of  the  style.  Normally,  there 
are  six  stamens,  but  in  most  seedless  varieties  only  five,  the  sixth 
being  very  rudimentary,  or  wanting.  The  anthers,  the  extreme  por- 
tions of  normal  stamens,  contain  the  pollen.  On  reaching  maturity 
they  split  lengthwise  along  the  margin,  exposing  the  inner  surfaces 
and  releasing  pollen  grains.  The  exposed  surfaces  gradually  turn 
dark  in  a  few  hours  after  the  flowers  open.  The  portion  of  the  pistil 
extending  from  the  apex  of  the  ovary  consists  of  a  slim  style  sur- 
mounted by  a  more  or  less  globular  stigma,  the  surface  showing- 
evidence  of  several  lobes,  usually  six  in  number. 

The  inflorescence  of  the  banana,  which  undoubtedly  has  under- 
gone many  modifications  since  it  first  became  known  to  man,  is  of 
much  interest  and  importance.  Its  variations  are  numerous  but  of  a 
constancy  permitting  their  use  as  a  most  reliable  basis  for  systemati- 
cally distinguishing  the  varieties.2  The  flowering  stalk  grows  up 
through  the  center  of  the  trunk,  appearing  under  normal  conditions 
at  the  top  in  the  form  of  a  large  bud  when  the  trunk  is  about  9  or 
10  months  old.  The  flower  bud  develops  rapidly,  and,  as  it  increases 
in  size  its  weight  causes  it  to  hang  pendant  from  the  plant.3 
Botanically,  the  inflorescence  is  of  the  monoecious  type,  the  flowers 
in  most  species  and  varieties  being  pistillate,  neutral,  or  staminate. 
the  last  two  kinds  closely  resembling  one  another  (pi.  1,  A). 

The  flowers  are  spirally  arranged  on  the  flower  stalk  in  consecutive 
clusters  extending  from  the  base  to  the  apex.  One  or  two  of  the 
clusters  open  at  a  time.  Usually  the  pistillate  flowers  open  in  four 
to  seven  days.  Each  developing  cluster,  consisting  of  two  trans- 
verse rows  having  few  to  20  or  more  flowers,  depending  upon  the 
variety  and  conditions  of  growth,  is  completely  protected  by  a  thick, 
close-fitting,  leaflike  bract  varying  in  shape  and  color  with  the  dif- 
ferent species  and  varieties.  In  color  the  outward  surface  of  the 
bracts  may  be  purple,  claret,  or  reddish-brown,  powdered  with  a 
frostlike  bloom,  and  the  inner  surface  may  be  red,  pink,  purple,  vio- 

-  Flowers  should  be  chosen  for  study  when  they  have  reached  a  certain  definite  point  of 
growth.  Pistillate  flowers,  for  example,  should  be  examined  aboul  the  time  the  last 
cluster  is  opening;  ;i  day  or  two  later  the  neutral  flowers  nay  be  Been;  and  two  days 
later  still  the  staminate   flowers  will   have  developed. 

■In  The  Kusaie  and  Fei  varieties  tin-  scape  with  inflorescence  remains  erect.  A  strain 
of  the  Cavendish  banana  produces  two  or  more  flowering  stalks  within  a  single  trunk, 
whereas  the  native  Hawaiian  variety  Mahoe  produces  a  single  flower  stalk  which  divides 
midway  of  the  cluster  and  bears  twin  bunches  of  fruit   (pi.  2,  A). 


6  BULLETIN    55,    HAWAII   EXPERIMENT    STATION 

let,  yellow,  orange,  brown,  or  a  blend  of  several  of  these  colors,  which 
are  well  displayed  when  the  bract  is  raised  as  it  rolls  back  at  the  top. 
About  this  time  the  flowers  beneath  the  bracts  may  be  visited  by  in- 
sects in  search  of  nectar.  After  completing  its  work  of  protecting 
and  displaying  the  flowers,  each  bract  falls.  In  the  Chinese  or 
Cavendish  variety  the  bracts  covering  the  staminate  flowers  are 
persistent  (pi.  2,  B). 

The  pistillate  flowers  are  the  most  important  of  the  several  kinds 
forming  the  inflorescence,  particularly  the  ovaries,  which  eventually 
become  the  fruit.  The  number  of  clusters  under  favorable  conditions 
varies  from  six  to  nine  or  even  more,  some  varieties  producing  a 
greater  number  than  others.  The  ovary  is  about  two-thirds  the 
length  of  the  pistillate  flower,  and  has  three  seed  compartments  with 
many  well-distributed  ovules,  which  in  the  seedless  banana  remain 
small  and  imperfect.  The  apex  of  the  ovary  supports  the  other 
floral  parts,  including  the  central  style,  which  is  surmounted  with  a 
plump,  six-lobed  stigma  and  surrounded  by  a  whorl  of  five  short,  im- 
perfect stamens.4 

The  floral  envelope  is  considerably  modified.  The  outer  and 
longer  portion  is  the  perianth,  and  is  said  to  consist  of  three  sepals 
and  two  rudimentary  petals  all  united,  but  indicated  by  the  five  lobes 
at  the  end.  The  third  and  separate  petal  representing  the  corolla  is 
short,  wide,  deeply  cupped  on  the  inner  side,  and  lipped  at  the  edges. 
In  color  these  floral  parts  may  be  pale  cream,  yellow,  red,  or  streaked, 
depending  upon  the  variety.  The  cups  of  the  petals  of  the  three 
kinds  of  flowers  secrete  a  clear,  viscid  nectar  of  sweet,  pleasant  flavor. 
In  the  Iholena  group  the  nectar  has  the  consistency  of  jelly,  which 
was  a  delicacy  eagerly  sought  by  the  early  Hawaiians. 

In  the  neutral  flowers  the  stamens  and  pistils  are  usually  unde- 
veloped, and  the  ovary  is  half  the  length  of  the  flower.  Fertile 
pollen  grains  are  rarely  found  in  the  stamens,  and  only  few  varieties 
in  Hawaii,  such  as  the  Bluefields  and  Lady  Finger,  have  neutral 
flowered  ovaries  developing  into  fruits. 

The  male  or  staminate  flowers  are  arranged  in  clusters  more  at 
the  end  of  the  inflorescence.  Each  flower  normally  possesses  live  prom- 
inent stamens,  usually  extending  beyond  the  other  parts  (pi.  1,  B). 
The  anthers,  or  pollen  sacks,  are  long  and  marked  in  color,  but  in 
most  varieties  possess  no  pollen.  However,  abundance  of  pollen  was 
found  by  the  writer  in  the  anthers  of  staminate  flowers  of  the  vari- 
eties Bluefields,  Popoulu,  Iholena,  Lele,  Kapua,  abaca,  Borabora, 
and  Maia  Oa.  Pollen  grains  collected  from  well-developed  stamens 
of  pistillate  flowers  of  the  last  three-mentioned  varieties  and  ex- 
amined under  a  compound  microscope  were  found  to  be  spherical 
in  shape  and  white  or  yellowish  in  color.  The  grains  are  connected 
in  chains  until  fairly  mature,  when  they  split  apart.  The  pistil  is 
short  and  undeveloped.  The  ovary  is  only  about  one-third  the 
length  of  the  flower.  Usually  the  perianth  and  the  corolla  petal  are 
more  highly  colored  than  other  parts  of  the  flower,  and,  like  the 
same  organs  in  the  pistillate  flower,  have  colors  peculiar  to  the 
variety. 

4  In  some  species  the  stamens  are  perfect,  and  occasionally  a  sixth  stamen  is  present. 


BANANA   CULTURE    IX     HAWAII  7 

Like  a  number  of  other  fruits  of  commercial  importance,  the 
seedless  banana  is  distinctly  parthenocarpic  and  does  not  require  the 
stimulus  of  pollination  to  insure  the  setting  of  fruit  (#,  p.  293). 
However.  15  of  the  :i7  species  of  the  subgenus  Eumusa  produce  fruit 
containing  seeds  [11.  p.  263).  A  number  of  well-established  vari- 
eties of  seedless  bananas,  including  Gros  Michel  (Bluefields)  and 
Apple,  have  been  successfully  pollinated  by  hand  and  caused  to 
produce  seed  (1L  preface,  p.  8).  The  Ice  Cream  variety  of  Hawaii 
when  growing  near  abaca  plants  is  occasionally  naturally  pollinated 
and  produces  seed.  W.  J.  MacNeil,  Oahu  College,  Honolulu,  reports 
that  in  1909  he  succeeded  in  crossing  flowers  of  the  Ice  Cream  vari- 
ety with  pollen  from  seed-producing  banana,  presumably  abaca. 
More  than  one  bunch  produced  seeds,  some  fruits  having  1  to  15. 
Ten  of  the  seeds,  collected  at  random  when  dry.  weighed  0.6  gram, 
and  were  0.8  by  0.6  by  0.4  to  0.6  by  0.5  by  0.1  centimeter  in  dimen- 
sions. Of  50  seeds  planted  on  two  different  occasions  none  germi- 
nated. 

In  nearly  all  commercial  varieties  the  pistillate  flowers  with  im- 
perfect stamens  are  open  and  their  stigmas  past  the  receptive  stage 
for  pollen  before  either  the  neutral  or  the  st animate  flowers  are 
released  by  the  opening  of  the  bracts  (pi.  3,  A).  This  fact  indicates 
the  need  of  cross  pollination  to  produce  seed.  Insects,  which  are 
attracted  to  the  flowers  by  the  nectar,  might  possibly  be  the  occasion 
of  cross  pollination,  but  since  seeds  are  rarely  produced,  the  pollen 
of  most  of  the  commercial  varieties  either  does  not  develop,  or  it 
is  infertile. 

It  is  believed  that  the  original  wild  banana  bore  perfect  flowers; 
that  is,  having  both  stamens  and  pistils,  as  is  still  represented  in  some 
of  the  local  varieties,  and  that  pollination  of  flowers  of  the  same 
cluster  was  aided  by  external  agencies,  such  as  the  wind  and  insects. 
In  isolated  specimens  of  the  local  Borabora  (pi.  3,  B),  Maia  Oa.  and 
abaca  varieties,  it  was  observed  that  the  flowers  becoming  seed- 
bearing  fruits  were  pollinated  before  the  staminate  flowers,  located 
farther  along  the  rachis,  were  released  from  under  the  bracts.  It  is 
also  probable  that  there  once  were  species,  if  not  varieties,  whose 
floral  parts  were  modified,  requiring  cross  pollination  to  fertilize  the 
ovules  and  produce  seeds  capable  of  germination,  just  as  is  now  the 
ca-e  with  most  of  the  Hawaiian  commercial  varieties,  which  usually 
are  parthenocarpic.  Examination  of  a  number  of  these  varieties 
failed  to  show  the  presence  of  pollen  on  their  flowers.  Several 
varieties,  such  as  the  Ice  Cream  and  Chamaluco,  had  some  pollen, 
the  surface  of  whose  grains  was  found  to  be  collapsed,  however,  sug- 
gesting infertility.  S.  C.  Harland.  of  Trinidad,  British  West  Indies, 
reports  crossing  successfully  the  Gros  Michel,  resulting  in  the  produc- 
tion of  seeds  which  germinated,  giving  in  one  instance  a  hybrid  of 
highly  desirable  qualities.  Some  varieties  are  known  to  be  bud 
sports;  for  example,  the  Green  Red  banana  of  Panama,  which  O.  A. 
Reinking.  pathologist  of  the  United  Fruit  Co..  states  is  a  bud  sport 
of  the  well-known  Red  variety,  i-  also  a  bud  -port  of  some  yellow 
variety.  A  bunch  of  the  fruit  of  the  Green  Red  banana  was  found  to 
contain  150  seeds  scattered  throughout  the  linger-,  only  about  half  a 
dozen  of  which  were  perfect.     Doctor  Reinking  call-   attention  to 


8  BULLETIN    55,    HAWAII   EXPERIMENT   STATION 

the  Burrow  Apple  plantain  as  a  variety  of  the  species  paradisiaca 
producing  seed,  a  portion  of  which  have  been  germinated  and 
successfullv  grown. 

FRUIT 

The  fruit  of  the  banana  is  borne  in  a  bunch  consisting  of  a  number 
of  clusters  called  "  hands,"  which  are  further  developments  of  the 
floral  panicle.  The  hands,  bearing  5  to  20  or  more  bananas  arranged 
in  two  rows,  commonly  called  "  fingers,"  grow  separately  in  spiral  ar- 
rangement on  the  axis  of  the  rachis,  called  the  stem.  The  bunch  is 
the  commercial  unit  where  bananas  are  sold  wholesale,  and  is  classed 
as  ranging  from  6  to  9  hands.  Smaller  bunches  are  not  readily  mar- 
keted. Standard  bunches  have  9  hands  and  weigh  from  50  to  80 
pounds,  varying  with  the  variety  and  conditions  under  which  pro- 
duced. Cavendish  bananas  given  good  culture  may  average  85 
pounds  in  wreight,  and  rarely  100  pounds  per  bunch.  Large  bunches 
of  Bluefields  often  weigh  100  pounds  or  more,  and  occasionally 
bunches  weighing  150  pounds,  with  20  or  more  hands  and  over  300 
fruits,  have  been  exhibited.  One  bunch  shown  at  the  Territorial 
Fair  of  Hawaii,  1924,  weighed  over  170  pounds.  The  favorite 
variety  of  the  Hawaiians,  Moa,  which  grows  wild  in  the  deep  moun- 
tain valleys,  often  has  less  than  a  dozen  fruits  to  the  entire  bunch. 
Given  special  care,  however,  this  variety  can  be  made  to  produce  a 
larger  number.  In  Cochin  China,  the  "  Lubang "  variety  (Musa 
corniculata)  produces  only  one  fruit  which  has  the  appearance  of  a 
large  cucumber.  The  Lady  Finger,  a  commercial  banana  of  the 
West  Indies  and  now  under  trial  at  the  station,  produces  as  many  as 
300  to  400  fruits  to  the  bunch.  The  Guindy,  said  to  be  the  best 
banana  of  India,  often  has  1,000  fruits  to  the  bunch  (77,  p.  181). 
The  King  of  Thousands,  a  variety  of  banana  of  the  Malay  Archi- 
pelago, is  said  to  produce  bunches  of  great  size.  A  bunch  measuring 
7  feet  long  and  bearing  2,000  fruits  was  produced  in  a  Singapore 
garden  in  1911  (0,  p.  452). 

The  fruit  develops  in  60  to  80  days  after  the  inflorescence  has 
pushed  out  of  the  crown  of  the  trunk.  Fruit  development,  like  the 
growth  of  the  rest  of  the  plant,  may  be  greatly  retarded  by  adverse 
conditions.  Individual  fruits  of  the  edible  banana  vary  greatly  in 
size,  shape,  color,  and  flavor,  according  to  the  variety  and  cultural 
conditions. 

The  general  description  of  the  fruit  of  the  seedless  banana  is  as  fol- 
lows :  Weight,  2  to  16  ounces;  length,  1  to  18  inches;  shape,  elon- 
gated, cylindrical,  sometimes  angular,  somewhat  curved;  skin,  thin 
and  tender  to  tough  and  leathery;  color  of  skin,  yellow  or  red  at 
maturity,  and  in  some  varieties,  green  when  ripe;  pulp,  yellow,  pink, 
salmon,  or  white  in  color,  soft  to  firm  in  consistency;  flavor,  usually 
pleasing  when  the  fruit  is  ripe.5 

COMPOSITION  AND  FOOD  VALUE 

The  composition  and  food  value  of  the  banana  are  of  interest  to 
the  grower  and  to  the  consumer.    From  the  composition  the  grower 

B  The  fruit  should  be  studied  first  while  it  is1  green  but  at  full  size,  and  later  when  it 
fully  ripens. 


Bui.  55.  Hawaii  Agr.  Expt.  Station 


Plate  3 


Bui.  55,  Hawaii  Agr.  Expt.  Station 


Plate  4 


BANANA    CTI.TURE    IN    HAWAII 


9 


learns  the  importance  of  his  crop  as  a  food,  and  the  demands  the 
plant  makes  upon  the  soil  medium  he  is  to  provide;  the  consumer 
learns  the  food  value  of  the  fruit,  and  the  dietitian  its  proper  place 
in  the  dietary. 

Analyses  of  a  number  of  locally  grown  bananas,  made  with  a  slight 
modification  of  the  method  recommended  by  the  Association  of 
Official  Agricultural  Chemists  (#0,  p.  77)  and  published  by  the 
station  in  1914  (10,  p.  GG).  indicate  little  difference  in  composition 
between  them  and  bananas  grown  elsewhere.  Bananas  have  a  high 
and  variable  sugar  content,  the  highest  being  in  the  Hawaiian  cook- 
ing, or  so-called  native,  bananas  (pi.  4,  A).  The  green  fruit  of  any 
variety  of  bananas,  such  as  that  used  for  dehydration  in  the  manu- 
facture of  flour,  has  a  starch  content  of  about  12  per  cent,  most  of 
which  disappears  during  ripening,  along  with  the  tannic  or  organic 
acids.  Doherty  (9,  p.  187)  reports  G  per  cent  of  starch  remaining  in 
some  ripe  fruit,  and  other  observers  have  found  less.  A  test  for  tannin 
on  cross  sections  of  both  the  green  and  ripe  fruit  showed  tannin  to  be 
arranged  in  a  narrow  line  around  the  outer  margin  of  the  fruit  and 
along  the  three  divisions  of  the  core  radiating  from  the  center. 
Eicciardi  (17,  p.  554)  explains  that  tannin,  together  with  organic 
acids,  like  much  of  the  starch,  disappears  during  the  process  of  ripen- 
ing. Thoroughly  ripened  fresh  fruit  is  for  this  reason  more  easily 
digested  than  unripe  fruit.  The  proteins,  consisting  of  albumen  and 
gluten,  are  small  in  amount,  constituting  little  over  1  per  cent  of  the 
edible  portion  of  the  ripe  fruit.  Acidity  averages  about  0.329  per 
cent,  but  runs  unusually  high  (over  0.4  per  cent)  in  the  Apple  and 
Brazilian  varieties.  A  similar  variation  is  noted  in  the  different 
varieties  in  fat  content,  in  which  the  cooking  banana  is  unusually 
high.  Table  1  gives  the  results  of  analyses  of  different  kinds  of 
bananas. 

Table  1. — Composition  of  different  kinds  of  banana  fruits 


Kind 


Chinese 

Apple 

Brazilian 

Baking  (Hawaiian) 
Fehi 


Carbohydrates 

Edible 

Waste 

Water 

Protein 

Acids 
Fat            as 

H2SO< 

Sugar 

Crude 
fiber 

1              i 
Per  cent  Per  cent  Per  cent 

Per  cent 

Per  cent 

Per  cent 

Per  cent 

Per  cent 

70.  00       30.  00 

78.72 

1.788 

0.  180       0.  245 

16.66 

0.253 

74.49 

25.51 

68.48 

1.238 

.223         .417 

24.15 

.351 

68.25 

31.  75 

72.22 

1.  775 

.  201          .  406 

19.68 

.305 

75.72 

24.28 

67.78 

1.350 

.  518         .  397 

26.20 

.333 

64.29 

35.71 

72.  13 

1.069 

.046 

.230 

»  14.  49 

.594 

Ash 


Per  cent 

0.955 

.964 

.924 

.750 


Determined  by  copper  reduction  method. 


The  banana  leads  all  other  raw  fruits  in  food  value  and  surpasses 
most  of  the  vegetables  in  energy  value  and  tissue-building  elements. 
According  to  S.  C.  Prescott.  of  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Tech- 
nology, it  provides  more  actual  food  for  the  same  cost  than  any  other 
fresh  fruit  or  vegetable,  fish,  meat,  milk,  or  eggs  (16,  p.  53).  Table  2 
compares  the  nutritive  value  of  the  banana  with  that  of  some  other 
commonly  used  Hawaiian  fruits. 

11862°—  20 2 


10  BULLETIN   55,    HAWAII   EXPERIMENT    STATION 

Table  2. — Comparison  of  composition  of  bananas  and  other  fruits 


Edible 
portion 

Waste 

Water 

Protein 

Fat 

Carbohydrates 

Acids 

Kind 

as 
H2S0<  i  Sugar 

Crude 
fiber 

Ash 

Banana  (Chinese) 

Mango  (Pirie) 

Avocado  (Esbank)   __ 

Per  cent 
70.00 
60.00 

Per  cent 
30.00 
40.00 

Per  cent 
78.73 

79.48 
81.76 
53. 18 
83.73 
87.85 

Per  cent 
1.788 
.456 
.950 
1.575 
.548 
.681 
.375 
.400 

Per  cent 
0.180 
.032 
12.  620 
.190 
.148 
.387 

"\~500~ 

Per  cent  Per  cent 

0.245  |     16.66 

.221  |     14.78 

2.84 

-.  049         9.  49 
.  140  !     13.  76 
.  882         5.  90 
.  660  1     10.  70 

■     14.20 

Per  cent 
0.253 
.508 
1.030 
1.204 
.827 
.575 

Per  cent 
0.955 
.343 
.800 
.952 
.687 
.453 

Breadfruit  (Hawaiian) 

Papaya  (No.  4610) 

77.  75 

22.25 

Orange  (Kona) 

Pineapple.   _     .  ...          

72.  13 

27.87 

Apple       ...     ... 

84.60 

.300 

The  world's  leading  food  crops,  including  wheat,  rice,  corn,  and 
potatoes,  have  become  great  staples  because  of  their  large  yields  of 
energy-producing  food  in  concentrated  and  palatable  form.  In  a 
comparative  study  of  these  foods,  the  banana  has  been  found  to 
lead  in  total  production  per  acre  and  in  fuel  value  per  acre.  Table 
3  compares  the  acre  yield  and  fuel  value  of  a  fair  crop  of  Chinese 
bananas  and  the  other  staple  crops. 

Table  3. — Yield  and  food  value  of  bananas  and  other  crops1 


Kind  of  crop 

Fair  yield 
per  acre 

Fuel  value 
per  pound 

Fuel  value 
per  acre 

Bananas..  ....        .     .  ...     ....  .  _ 

Pounds 
32, 000 
1,620 
3,000 
2,240 
10,  170 
14,  000 

Calories 

260 

1,650 

1,620 

1,635 

295 

440 

Calories 
8,  320,  000 

Wheat •_ 

2,  673,  000 

Rice ... ... ._  ..  __  ..     . 

4,  860,  000 

Corn.   ---.          ..     .     ..........     . 

3,  662,  000 

White  potatoes.  __        ______________________ 

'      3,  000,  150 

Sweet  potatoes  ...  ._     _     _  _  _  ._  _.  

6, 160,  000 

Hawaii  Exp.  Sta.  Ext.  Bui.  6  (1917),  p.  4. 

The  yields  of  bananas,  rice,  and  sweet  potatoes  given  in  the  table 
are,  as  explained  by  Higgins,  based  upon  the  experience  of  a  num- 
ber of  growers  in  Hawaii,  and  the  estimate  of  fair  yields  of  the  other 
crops  was  arrived  at  by  increasing  by  50  per  cent  the  average  yields 
of  plants  in  the  areas  of  the  United  States  where  they  are  grown  ex- 
tensively. Average  yields  can  not  be  considered  fair  yields,  but  in- 
creasing them  by  50  per  cent  would  seem  to  be  fair  to  these  crops 
when  comparing  them  with  bananas.  The  estimated  yield  for  rice 
includes  the  two  crops  which  are  harvested  each  year  in  Hawaii. 
Locally  grown  sugar  will  probably  exceed  the  other  crops  in  caloric 
value,  but  it  can  be  used  only  in  limited  quantity  in  the  diet.  Ba- 
nanas as  fresh  fruit  are  too  bulky  to  form  a  satisfactory  ration,  for 
one  must  consume  1,400  grams,  or  approximately  50  ounces,  of  the 
fruit  to  obtain  300  grams  of  carbohydrate. 

Reduced  to  a  concentrated  form,  as  by  drying  or  converting  into 
flour,  the  banana  can  be  used  in  very  large  quantities  and  in  times  of 
necessity  could  replace  much  of  the  wheat,  corn,  potatoes,  and  similar 
imports.  In  these  prepared  forms  the  banana  is  adapted  to  a  much 
wider  use,  and  its  nutritive  value  compares  more  favorably  with  the 
manufactured  products  of  the  cereals  and  dehydrated  fruits. 


BANANA   CULTURE  IN   HAWAII 


11 


BANANA  FLOUR 

Both  the  banana  and  the  plantain  form  a  far  more  important 
article  of  food  in  some  other  countries  than  they  do  in  Hawaii  or  in 
any  of  the  United  States.  Fawcett  (11.  p.  119)  states  that  they  take 
the  place  of  wheat,  rye.  barley,  and  potatoes  for  an  immense  portion 
of  the  human  race.  Flour  is  the  most  concentrated  form  to  which 
the  banana  can  be  reduced,  and  is  manufactured  from  fully  grown 
green  specimens  which  have  not  begun  to  ripen.  In  the  West  Indies 
the  fruit  is  cut  from  the  bunches  and  placed  in  water  at  about  176° 
F.  for  four  or  five  minutes  so  that  the  green  skin  may  the  more  easily 
be  removed.  The  pulp  is  then  split  in  halves  with  a  wooden,  bone, 
or  silver  blade.  After  the  banana  has  been  thus  prepared,  drying, 
either  by  sun  or  artificial  heat,  takes  place  rapidly.  AVhen  the  mois- 
ture has  been  reduced  to  15  per  cent  or  less,  the  dried  fruit  is  ground 
and  run  through  sieves  having  120  meshes  to  the  inch.  The  freshly 
prepared  product  has  an  odor  characteristic  of  the  fresh  article,  and 
an  agreeable  and  somewhat  sweet  taste.  It  may  be  stored  in  boxes 
or  barrels  lined  with  paper. 

Some  difficulty  has  been  encountered  in  making  bread  with  banana 
flour  alone,  but  when  mixed  with  wheat  flour  or  with  oatmeal  it 
proves  satisfactory.  Good  bread  has  been  made  from  banana  flour 
paste  which  had  been  subjected  to  the  action  of  steam  under  pressure. 
Table  4  compares  the  nutritive  value  of  banana  flour  and  other  foods. 

Table  4. — Comparative  nutritive  value  of  banana  and  other  foods1 


Kind  of  food 

Moisture 

Protefn 

Fat 

Carbo- 
hydrates 

Ash 

Food 

value  per 

pound 

Per  cent 
75.3 
9.7 

Per  cent 
1.3 
3.1 
11.4 
9.2 
2.2 

Per  cent 
0.6 

.5 
1.0 
1.9 

.1 

Per  cent 
22.0 
84.1 
75.1 
75.4 
18.4 

Per  cent 
0.8 
2.6 
.5 
1.0 
1.0 

Calories 
460 

1,610 

Wheat  flour    _          .  ...  _  . 

12.0 
12.5 
78.3 

1,650 

1,655 

Potato  (white)..  .      .     

385 

i  Hawaii  Exp.  Sta.  Ext.  Bui.  6  (1917),  p.  7. 

DRIED   BANANAS 

Bananas  may  be  preserved  in  a  concentrated  form  known  as  banana 
"figs,"  which  are  simply  the  dried  ripe  fruit.  Drying  as  a  means 
of  preserving  the  banana  is  commonly  practiced  in  theWest  Indies  and 
many  other  countries.  Trials  of  different  methods  of  processing  by 
the  station  indicate  that  drying  is  applicable  to  Hawaiian-grown 
varieties,  and  fig  making  from  the  banana  seems  possible.  The 
following  is  a  simple  method  of  preserving  the  banana : 

The  firm,  ripe  fruit,  peeled  and  split  lengthwise  in  halves  or 
fourths,  is  placed  on  trays  and  dried,  either  in  the  sun  or  with  arti- 
ficial heat.  Various  kinds  of  driers,  including  evaporators  and 
vacuum  driers,  are  used.  The  drying  process  is  complete  when  the 
dried  product  resembles  dried  figs,  prunes,  or  dates.  In  drying,  the 
fruit  becomes  covered  wtih  a  white,  sugary  powder  formed  from  its 
own  juice.  In  the  ripe  fruit  the  starch  turns  to  sugar,  which  in  the 
drying  process  acts  as  a  preservative  and  enables  the  fruit  to  keep 


12 


BULLETIN    55,    HAWAII   EXPERIMENT    STATION 


for  a  considerable  time.     That  the  dried  fruit  compares  favorably 
with  other  dried  fruits  is  shown  in  Table  5. 

Table  5. — Average  composition  of  dried  bananas  and  other  dried  fruits  * 


Kind  of  fruit 

Refuse 

Water 

Protein 

Fat 

Carbo- 
hydrates 

Ash 

Fuel 

value  per 

pound 

Per  cent 

Per  cent 
29.2 
15.4 
18.8 
14.6 
26.1 
29.4 

Per  cent 
5.3 
2.1 
4.3 
2.6 
1.6 
4.7 

Per  cent 
2.3 
2.8 
.3 
3.3 
2.2 
1.0 

Per  cent 
57.9 
78.4 
74.2 
76.1 
68.1 
62.5 

Per  cent 
5.3 
1.3 
2.4 
3.4 
2.0 
2.4 

Calories 
1,240 
1  615 

10.0 

Figs    

1,475 
1,605 
1,350 
1,290 

10.0 

i  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.  Farmers'  Bui.  293,  p.  14. 

PROPAGATION 

Seedless  bananas  are  propagated  by  asexual  methods,  three  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  stem  being  used:  (1)  Large  suckers,  4  to  6  months 
old,  having  well-developed  basal  bulbs  (pi.  4,  B)  ;  (2)  small  suckers, 
a  few  weeks  to  2  or  3  months  old  and  8  to  30  inches  high;  and  (3) 
old  stumps  of  plants  that  have  fruited  (pi.  5,  A). 

Large  suckers,  4  or  5  feet  high,  are  the  forms  most  commonly  used 
to  propagate  the  banana  in  Hawaii.  The  b'ulbs  contain  a  large 
supply  of  concentrated  food,  have  tissue  ready  for  root  development, 
and  have  started  to  take  on  the  characters,  of  adult  foliage.  Care 
should  be  taken,  however,  to  see  that  the  flower  cluster  has  not  jet 
begun  to  form  in  the  trunk.  Large  suckers  should  be  carefully  re- 
moved from  the  plant  after  the  fully  developed  bunches  of  fruit 
have  been  severed.  All  fibrous  roots  should  be  removed,  'the  ex- 
panded leaves  cut  back  to  prevent  excessive  transpiration,  and  the 
suckers  allowed  to  dry  for  several  days  to  heal  the  cut  surfaces 
before  planting.  Some  growers  place  the  suckers  in  heaps  8  to  10 
deep,  cover  them  with  trash  to  protect  them  from  the  rays  of  the  sun, 
and  allow  them  to  remain  for  about  a  month.  Large  suckers  have 
been  found  to  be  very  satisfactory  in  local  commercial  plantings  of 
the  Cavendish  and  Brazilian  varieties  and  to  produce  earlier  and 
more  desirable  bunches  of  fruit  than  smaller  suckers  or  heads.  In 
some  countries  the  large  suckers  are  cut  back  to  within  a  few  inches 
of  the  solid  corm  or  bulb,  the  central  or  heart  bud  is  cut  out,  and 
all  surface  buds  are  removed,  excepting  one  which  then  takes  its 
strength  from  the  parent  bulb.  When  the  heart  bulb  is  not  destroyed, 
a  new  bulb  forms  on  the  top  of  the  old  one,  producing  a  plant  which 
may  be  the  more  easily  blown  over. 

"  Peepers,"  or  small  suckers  less  than  two  or  three  months  old, 
should  be  handled  with  great  care  to  guard  against  bruising,  and 
should  be  allowed  to  dry  for  several  days  prior  to  planting,  as  a 
precaution  against  decay.  Small  suckers  may  not  prove  wholly 
satisfactory,  but  can  be  used  in  time  of  scarcity  of  propagating 
material. 

Old  banana  stumps  are  sometimes  dug  up  and  cut  back  to  heads. 
They  may  be  planted  whole  or  in  longitudinal  sections,  each  of  which 
should  have  one  good  bud  (pi.  5,  A).     After  the  cut  surfaces  have 


Bui.  55.   Hawaii  Agr.  Expt.  Station 


Plate  5 


A. — Propagating  material  of  banana  plants,  (l)  A  medium-sized  rhizome  •"IilmI";  CI)  a  large 
head  cut  into  sections,  each  having  at  least  one  evident  bud;  (3)  small  rhizomes  which 
are  used  entire.  The  white  arrow  indicates  the  bud  which  develops  into  the  sucker 
B. — Field  of  suckers  of  the  Cavendish  or  Chinese  variety  set  in  the  customary  way  for  growing 
at  lower  levels  where  irrigation  is  necessary.  The  su-kers  were  BJ  t  in  September,  1924,  and 
photographed  two  weeks  later.     Note  the  arrangement  of  the  trenches 


BAN"  AX  A   CULTURE   IX    HAWAII  13 

healed  the  stumps  should  be  planted  at  least  8  inches  deep,  with  the 
bud  in  an  upright  position.  Stumps  are  said  to  be  used  in  other 
countries  where  commercial  varieties  are  grown  on  a  large  scale. 

CULTURAL  REQUIREMENTS 

SOIL 

Practically  all  the  agricultural  soils  of  Hawaii  may  be  made  suit- 
able for  banana  growing.  At  the  lower  elevations,  where  most  of 
the  commercial  varieties  are  grown,  the  soils  are  conglomerate  de- 
posits formed  from  various  decomposed  lavas.6  Productivity  of  these 
soils  depends  more  upon  their  physical  character  than  upon  their 
chemical  composition,  although  the  latter  must  be  given  careful 
consideration.  At  elevations  of  1,000  feet  and  higher,  where  the 
rainfall  is  sufficient  for  the  production  of  natural  forest  growth, 
the  soils  consist  of  decomposed  lavas  with  an  abundance  of  humus. 
Such  soils  have  excellent  drainage  on  account  of  the  porous  nature 
of  the  lavas  directly  underlying  them.  Except  for  the  clearing 
necessary,  these  forest  lands  are  more  easily  brought  into  use,  but, 
owing  to  their  altitude,  require  a  longer  time  to  produce  crops  than 
the  low-lying  lands.  They  produce  commercial  bananas  of  excellent 
quality,  and  are  well  adapted  to  growing  most  of  the  native  bananas. 

The  virgin  forest  loam,  where  the  rainfall  is  adequate,  is  the  ideal 
soil  for  banana  culture,  but  a  great  variety  of  soils  may  be  success- 
fully used  if  their  physical  and  chemical  properties  are  improved 
by  proper  tillage,  liberal  applications  of  organic  matter,  and  irriga- 
tion. Water-holding  capacity  and  good  drainage  are  among  the 
essential  requirements  for  banana  growing.  Moisture  must  be  abun- 
dant at  all  times  to  insure  good  crop  yields.  It  is  estimated  that  the 
banana  plant  requires  about  600  pounds  of  water  for  every  pound 
of  dry  matter  produced. 

PREPARATION 

Land  at  the  lower  elevations,  where  usually  the  forest  growth 
is  sparse,  should  first  be  cleared  of  all  vegetation  and  stones.  This 
may  require  some  expense,  but  partial  clearing  preceding  breaking 
the  land  is  a  doubtful  economy.  A  well-cleared  held  means  cheaper 
and  better  tillage.  The  banana  lands  at  the  lower  elevations  are 
largely  sedimentary  in  formation,  and  rather  firmly  packed,  re- 
quiring deep  and  thorough  plowing.  After  weathering  by  exposure 
to  air  and  sunshine  the  roughly  plowed  field  should  be  harrowed 
and  staked  off  for  planting.  The  fields  customarily  are  laid  out 
with  regularity  in  small  areas  of  5  or  10  acre  blocks  for  conveniently 
carrying  on  the  various  necessary  operations.  The  rows  are  laid  out 
in  ditches  V/2  to  2  feet  deep  with  high  ridges  between  (pi.  5,  B). 
The  ditches  are  made  by  running  a  plow  several  times  through  each 
row,  after  which  the  loosened  soil  is  thrown  to  the  sides.  If  the 
subsoil  is  hard  it  should  be  broken  up  with  a  subsoil  plow  and 
the  soil  should  be  reduced  to  a  fine  state  of  tilth  to  furnish  a  suit- 

6  In  some  localities  the  lava-  are  mixed  with  calcareous  material  consisting  either 
of  coral  sand  brought  in  from  the  seashore  by  the  agency  of  the  wind  or  partly  decom- 
posed coral   reefs  that  have  arisen  out  of  the 


14  BULLETIN    55,    HAWAII   EXPERIMENT    STATION 

able  bed  for  the  plants.  Loosening  the  soil  gives  better  drainage 
and  a  greater  feeding  area  for  the  roots,  which  then  become  deeply 
established  and  enable  the  plant  to  withstand  heavy  winds.  Thor- 
oughly preparing  the  land  also  greatly  increases  nitrification  and 
other  chemical  processes  releasing  plant  food  in  the  soil. 

IMPROVING    THE    SOIL 

In  addition  to  deep  plowing  and  good  drainage,  banana  soils 
often  need  some  kind  of  fertilizer.  Fertilizing  materials  include 
barnyard  manures,  green  manures,  lime,  and  chemical  or  commercial 
fertilizers.  The  soils  usually  have  most  of  the  necessary  elements. 
Nitrogen,  potassium,  phosphorus,  and  calcium  are  the  elements 
most  likely  to  become  exhausted  and  to  require  replacement  by  the 
use  of  fertilizers.  Numerous  experiments  with  fertilizers  for  bana- 
nas have  been  made  by  private  growers,  fertilizer  concerns,  and  by 
the  station,  alone  and  in  cooperation  with  growers.  Barnyard 
manure  has  been  found  to  be  very  beneficial,  especially  at  the  central 
station  in  Honolulu. 

In  using  fertilizers  the  grower  must  be  guided  not  only  by  his 
general  knowledge  of  the  needs  of  the  plant  but  also  by  close  study 
of  its  growth,  including  its  composition  and  the  action  of  the  soil 
under  treatment.  Considerable  experience  is  required  to  determine 
the  kind  of  fertilizer  necessary  and  the  best  method  of  applying  it. 
Sufficient  nitrogen  is  shown  in  a  vigorous  growth  of  rich  green  fo- 
liage, whereas  nitrogen  deficiency  is  generally  indicated  by  poor 
growth  of  foliage  of  yellowish  color.  Nitrogen  deficiency  is  often 
corrected  by  the  application  of  barnyard  manure  and  the  incorpora- 
tion of  an  abundance  of  humus  in  the  soil,  with  more  moisture. 
Green  manures  also  assist  in  maintaining  humus,  which  aids  in  nitri- 
fication. Nitrogen  deficiency  may  be  temporarily  overcome  by  using 
nitrate  of  soda,  sulphate  of  ammonia,  or  dried  blood.  Potash  also 
often  improves  the  fruiting  quality  of  banana  plants.  Both  Higgins 
and  Fawcett  state  that  where  vigorous  plants  produce  bunches  of 
fruit  of  inferior  size  and  quality  the  condition  may  often  be  cor- 
rected by  using  potash  in  some  form,  such  as  sulphate  or  muriate  of 
potash.  The  need  of  phosphoric  acid  is  probably  not  so  easily 
determined,  but  the  fact  that  phosphorus  is  present  in  practically 
every  plant  cell  indicates  its  importance.  Applied  as  superphos- 
phate, which  is  phosphate  rock  treated  with  sulphuric  acid,  phos- 
phoric acid  is  often  believed  to  be  the  correcting  element  for  stunted 
growth.  Lime  in  excess  of  that  already  present  in  the  soil  may 
sometimes  be  required  as  a  soil  amendment,  or,  what  is  known  as 
an  indirect  fertilizer,  rendering  the  potash  more  available  to  the 
plant.  It  aids  nitrification  and  may  also  correct  soil  acidity,  result- 
ing in  an  improved  physical  condition.  (For  fuller  discussion  of  the 
use  of  fertilizers,  see  11,  p.  69.) 

PLANTING   DISTANCES 

The  distance  between  the  rows  and  the  plants  in  the  row  varies 
somewhat  with  the  character  of  the  soil,  the  amount  of  moisture 
available,  and  the  variety  to  be  planted.  Different  distances  are 
used  in  setting  the  Chinese  banana,  the  leading  commercial  variety 


BANANA    CULTURE   IN   HAWAII 


15 


in  Hawaii.  Success  may  be  obtained  by  planting  6  by  (>;  6  by  7, 
7  by  7,  7  by  8,  8  by  9,  and  8  by  10  feet;  and  greater  distances  are 
required  for  large  plants,  such  as  the  Bluefields  and  Brazilian 
varieties.  Large  plants  should  be  set  at  least  14  by  1-1  feet  on  land 
that  is  not  very  fertile,  some  growers  preferring  15  by  15  and 
16  by  16  feet.  The  greater  distances  permit  the  growing  of  a  larger 
number  of  suckers  and  fruiting  trunks  in  each  clump  at  the  same 
time.  With  the  greater  distances  between  plants  the  suckers  should 
be  set  in  large  holes,  the  size  of  which  will  depend  upon  the  prepara- 
tion previously  given  the  soil.  In  poorly  prepared  soil  the  holes 
must  be  made  very  large,  being  at  least  4  feet  across  and  V/2  or  2 
feet  deep,  depending  upon  the  character  of  the  subsoil.  When  the 
land  has  been  thoroughly  plowed  and  harrowed  the  holes  can  be 
made  with  a  small  amount  of  hand  labor.  Large  suckers  of  the 
Chinese  variety  are  set  locally  at  selected  distances  in  holes  made  in 
the  bottom  of  the  ditch  with  5  or  6  inches  of  soil  firmed  around  each 
plant.  In  dry  weather  the  plantings  should  be  watered  as  soon  as 
the  areas  of  acre-blocks  are  set.  Table  6  gives  the  planting  dis- 
tances and  number  of  plants  per  acre. 

Table  C>. — Planting  distances  and  number  of  plants  per  acre1 


Distances  (feet) 


6bv6 

6  by  7 

7  by  7 

7  by  8 

8  by  9 


Plants 
(number) 


1,210 

1,037 

888 

777 
605 


Distances  (feet) 


8  bv  10_ 

14  by  14 

15  by  15 

16  by  16 


Plants 
(number) 


544 
222 
194 
170 


1  "  To  find  the  number  of  plants  required  to  set  an  acre,  multiply  together  two  distances,  in  feet,  at  which 
the  trees  stand  apart,  and  divide  43,560  by  the  product;  the  quotient  will  be  the  number  of  plants  required." 
(5,  pp.  117-119). 

CULTIVATION 


Tillage  is  one  of  the  most  important  factors  entering  into  the 
production  of  good  bananas,  and  success  depends  to  a  considerable 
extent  upon  the  thoroughness  of  preparation  given  the  soil  before 
planting. 

Most  of  the  typical  banana  lands  of  Hawaii  are  kept  free  of  weeds 
by  some  sort  of  shallow  tillage  which  is  maintained  until  the  plants 
are  large  enough  to  shade  the  ground  completely.  The  implement 
best  suited  to  shallow  tillage  is  an  animal-drawn,  double-shovel  culti- 
vator which  loosens  the  soil  to  a  depth  of  2  to  3  inches.  Some 
growers  prefer  using  a  6-inch  stirring  plow,  which  effectively  loosen:] 
the  soil  to  a  depth  of  4  to  6  inches.  In  cases  where  cultivators  and 
plows  can  not  well  be  used  the  work  may  be  started  with  a  spading 
fork  and  finished  by  hoeing.  Cultivation  is  sometimes  given  after 
each  rain  or  irrigation,  and  in  other  instances  once  in  six  or  eight 
weeks.  Only  one  cultivation  a  year  is  necessary  after  the  plants 
become  well  established. 

In  parts  of  the  West  Indies  cover  crops  are  grown  during  the 
wet  season.  A  cover  crop  prevents  surface  washing,  and  when 
tinned  under,  enriches  the  soil  and  improves  its  texture.  The 
Jerusalem  pea  (P/u/xeoIus  trinervis)  is  most  commonly  used,  as  it 
makes  a   fairly  dense  growth  in  the  shade  of  the  banana  plants. 


16  BULLETIN   55,    HAWAII   EXPERIMENT    STATION 

Green  manure  crops  greatly  benefit  Hawaiian  soils,  many  of  which 
are  lacking  in  organic  matter. 

Some  planters  consider  root  cutting,  such  as  is  done  by  the  plow, 
of  value  particularly  during  certain  seasons.  The  roots  of  the 
banana  plant  usually  grow  out  horizontally  with  little  branching.  If 
they  are  severed  several  feet  from  the  plant  the  cut  ends  will  send 
out  a  number  of  feeders,  which  spread  in  all  directions.  Root 
cutting  should  be  done  before  the  plants  begin  to  fruit. 

In  certain  parts  of  Central  America  where  the  Gros  Michel 
(Bluefields),  and  other  tall-growing  varieties  are  cultivated,  banana 
plantations  are  located  on  forest-covered  areas.  The  locality  is  first 
selected,  consideration  being  given  such  important  factors  as  climate, 
rainfall,  drainage,  likelihood  of  damage  by  flood  and  wind,  and  the 
feasibility  of  obtaining  labor  and  supplying  transportation.  After 
surveys,  trails,  roadways,  and  main  drainage  ditches  are  completed, 
the  underbrush  is  cut  sufficiently  to  permit  systematic  lining  and 
staking,  after  which  the  planting  material  is  set  at  intervals  of  12 
to  18  feet  each  way,  or  otherwise,  as  the  grower  decides  best.  As 
the  banana  plants  develop  the  land  is  kept  cleared  of  undergrowth, 
and  the  remaining  trees  are  removed  until  finally  the  forest  is 
replaced  by  the  field.  The  clumps  of  banana  plants  will  have  in- 
creased sufficiently  in  size  and  number  by  the  end  of  the  year  to 
cover  the  fields  with  vegetation  maintaining  a  condition  of  tem- 
perature and  moisture  not  greatly  unlike  that  formerly  existing  in 
the  virgin  forest.  (For  detailed  information  on  the  development 
of  banana  plantations,  see  16,  p.  21.) 

The  above  outlined  method,  with  some  modification,  might  be  ap- 
plicable to  vast  areas  of  Hawaiian  subforest  lands  at  elevations  of 
500  to  2.000  feet.  The  excellent  underdrainage  of  the  geologically 
new  lava  soils  would  greatly  lessen  the  extensive  preparation  and 
cultivation  necessary  on  the  lower  lands  where  the  Chinese  variety 
is  most  commonly  grown. 

A  survey  of  the  banana-growing  possibilities  on  the  island  of 
Hawaii  at  elevations  of  500  to  2,100  feet  was  made  by  the  writer  in 
1924.  Bluefields,  Chinese,  and  several  other  varieties  of  the  native 
cooking  banana  of  the  Maoli  type  were  found  in  cultivation  in  clear- 
ings at  elevations  up  to  2,100  feet.  The  plants  were  free  from  insect 
pests  and  disease  and  were  making  luxuriant  growth,  producing 
large  bunches  of  fruit,  specimens  of  which  on  ripening  proved  to  be 
of  excellent  quality.  Although  banana  culture  at  the  higher  eleva- 
tions requires  a  longer  time  to  mature  the  fruit  than  it  does  at  the 
lower  levels,  cost  of  production  is  considerably  reduced  by  the  simple 
methods  of  culture  used,  and  by  the  natural  rainfall,  which  makes 
irrigation  unnecessary.  It  was  also  found  that  enough  clean,  healthy 
propagating  material  of  the  varieties  could  be  assembled  and  multi- 
plied rapidly  to  start  a  plantation  of  no  small  consequence,  and  that 
all  the  stock  needed  could  be  obtained  in  the  Territory,  thus  pre- 
cluding the  introduction  of  disease  and  insect  pests  from  other  coun- 
tries against  which  quarantine  regulations  now  exist. 

IRRIGATION   AND   DRAINAGE 

Where  irrigation  is  to  be  practiced,  the  ditches  should  be  laid  out 
on  contours  enabling  the  water  to  cover  every  portion  of  each  division 


BANANA    CULTUBE    IX     HAWAII  17 

of  the  field  without  washing  the  soil.  Drainage  ditches  should  also 
be  provided  to  prevent  the  water  from  accumulating.  Newly  set 
fields  require  a  light  irrigation  about  once  a  week.  The  water  should 
be  admitted  to  ditches  made  between  the  rows  when  the  plant-  are 
well  established.  Thus  centered  the  ditches  will  provide  a  more  sub- 
stantial feeding  system  for  the  roots  and  lessen  the  tendency  of  the 
plant  to  produce  suckers.  After  reaching  the  age  of  fruitfulness  a 
field  of  Chinese  bananas  normally  requires  a  thorough  watering  about 
every  15  days  during  the  months  of  insufficient  rain. 

Good  drainage  is  absolutely  necessary  for  the  production  of  first- 
class  fruit.  It  is  just  as  important  to  maintain  adequate  drainage 
as  to  have  efficient  irrigation,  and  more  harm  is  done  by  having  too 
much  water  than  by  not  having  enough.  Too  much  water  causes 
water-logging  and  soil  acidity.  Deep  rather  than  shallow  drainage 
ditches  are  most  satisfactory. 

WINDBREAKS 

Banana  plants  grow  best  in  localities  having  little  or  no  wind. 
The  gentler  trade  winds  are  not  to  be  feared,  but  continuous  high 
winds  whip  the  young  leaves  into  ribbons  and  prevent  normal 
growth.  The  plants,  especially  such  as  are  weighted  with  fruit, 
may  be  blown  down  by  unusually  high  winds,  which,  fortunately, 
seldom  occur  in  these  islands.  Some  varieties  like  the  low  and 
stocky  Cavendish  withstand  heavy  wind  better  than  others.  Of  the 
taller  growing  varieties,  the  Brazilian  has  been  found  to  be  best 
adapted  to  windy  exposures  in  the  Hawaiian  Islands. 

The  local  banana  industry  has  not  yet  grown  to  proportions  mak- 
ing it  necessary  to  utilize  all  sheltered  lands  suitable  for  banana 
growing.  Only  such  lands  have  been  used  as  are  naturally  pro- 
tected from  the  prevailing  northeast  trade  winds.  Some  of  the 
windy  localities  probably  could  be  utilized  for  banana  culture  by 
growing  windbreaks  on  the  windward  side  of  the  field,  or  on  a 
surrounding  area  of  5  to  10  acres,  as  the  situation  requires.  Several 
rows  of  the  Brazilian  banana  might  be  utilized  for  the  purpose. 
The  panax  (Nothopanax  guilfoylia)  which  grows  upright  to  a 
height  of  15  feet,  makes  a  good  windbreak.  More  permanent  wind- 
breaks may  be  obtained  by  planting  such  rapidly  growing  trees  as 
the  ironwood  (Casuarina  equisiti folia)  and  eucalyptus  {Eucalyptus 
vobusta)  alternately  in  rows  10  feet  apart  and  of  the  same  distance 
apart  in  the  row.  The  mango  (Mangifera  indica)  also  withstands 
high  winds  and,  on  account  of  its  dense  top,  makes  an  excellent 
windbreak.  Grafted  mango  trees  have  the  additional  value  of  pro- 
ducing good  fruit  in  season. 

The  windbreak  trees  may  be  set  in  three  rows  10  feet  apart  in 
alternate  form  with  the  same  distance  between  trees  in  the  row. 
The  row  nearest  to  the  prevailing  wind  should  consist  of  eucalyptus 
trees,  which  make  tall,  slim  growth;  the  central  row  should  be  made 
up  of  two  kinds  of  trees,  eucalyptus  and  grafted  mango  arranged 
alternately  in  the  row:  and  the  row  adjoining  the  field  of  bananas 
should  consist  entirely  of  ironwood.     The  horizontal  roots  of  these 

11862°— 26 3 


18  BULLETIN    55,    HAWAII   EXPERIMENT    STATION 

trees  can  be  prevented  from  encroaching  on  the  zone  occupied  by  the 
bananas  by  maintaining  a  narrow  ditch  3  or  4  feet  in  depth  at  a 
distance  of  about  4  feet  from  the  row  of  trees  adjoining  the  field. 
Good  examples  of  controlling  horizontal  root  growth  of  wind- 
breaks are  to  be  found  in  different  parts  of  the  Territory.  Vigorous 
and  prolific  plants  can  be  grown  in  close  proximity  to  tree  wind- 
breaks where  the  ditch  method  is  used.  A  windbreak  of  round, 
dense-topped  trees  intermixed  with  the  taller  topped  forms  makes 
an  irregular  and  more  satisfactory  shelter  than  one  of  uniformly 
tall,  dense  trees. 


PRUNING 


Both  vigor  and  productivity  of  the  banana  plant  are  greatly  in- 
creased by  proper  sucker  pruning.  The  plants  soon  lose  their 
ability  to  collect  and  assimilate  sufficient  plant  food  to  maintain  all 
their  suckers  when  developed  to  abnormally  large  fruiting  condi- 
tions, as  is  often  done  for  commercial  purposes.  Fruit  of  improved 
size  and  quality  can  be  had  by  pruning  out  the  poorer  suckers  and 
forcing  each  clump  to  produce  two  to  four  fruiting  trunks.  Grow- 
ers may  time  their  crops  to  meet  market  demands.  By  choosing 
the  right  time  to  start  new  suckers,  it  is  possible  to  bring  in  the 
greater  part  of  the  crop  during  the  season  of  highest  prices. 

A  thorough  knowledge  of  pruning  requires  considerable  study  and 
practice.  The  difference  between  desirable  and  undesirable  small 
suckers  is  hard  to  determine.  Undesirable  specimens  should  be 
removed  before  attaining  a  height  of  2  feet,  for  the  larger  they 
grow  the  more  food  they  will  take  from  the  parent  plant,  and  the 
more  their  young  roots  will  interfere  with  the  root  system  of  the 
clump.  Selected  suckers  of  a  size  for  transplanting  should  be  so 
carefully  removed  as  not  to  injure  remaining  suckers  or  the  core 
and  root  system  of  the  parent.  The  roots  of  the  severed  sucker 
should  be  removed  before  transplanting. 

Practically  all  the  work  in  sucker  pruning  is  done  with  a  long- 
handled,  chisellike  cutting  tool,  commonly  called  a  "  sucker  spud," 
which  is  very  similar  to  the  Hawaiian  ao-o."  After  removal  of 
some  of  the  soil  from  around  the  sucker  the  spud  is  forced  straight 
down  between  the  sucker  and  the  corm  of  the  parent  plant  to  mgke 
a  clean  cut  without  bruising  either.  In  pruning  out  small,  unde- 
sirable suckers  care  must  be  taken  to  cut  far  enough  into  the  hard, 
Avhite  part  of  the  corm  to  prevent  the  suckers  from  sprouting  again 
ana  necessitating  a  repetition  of  the  work. 

The  large  terminal  bud  of  the  flower  stalk  may  be  pruned  out 
when  the  fruit  has  set  and  a  few  clusters  of  the  staminate  flowers 
have  fallen.  When  the  earlier  leaves  of  the  plant  complete  their 
assimilative  function  they  hang  pendant  around  the  trunk,  protect- 
ing it  from  the  rays  of  the  sun.  If  they  are  pruned  out,  the  outer 
sheathing  of  the  trunk  may  be  injured  and  the  whole  plant  may 
sutler .  The  dead  leaves  may  be  pruned  out,  however,  and  used  for 
wrapping  the  fruit  for  shipment  when  the  plants  are  set  close  to- 
gether and  the  trunks  are  Avell  shaded  by  the  foliage.  When  a 
iDimch  of  fruit  forms  about  a  leaf  petiole  the  leaf  should  be  pruned 
out  to  prevent  its  causing  any  irregularity  of  the  fruit. 


BAN  AX  A   CULTURE   IN    HAWAII  19 

REPLANTING 

The  number  of  years  in  which  a  banana  plantation  may  be  kept 
in  production  depends  upon  depth  of  plowing,  physical  condition  of 
the  soil,  thoroughness  of  preparation,  and  nature  of  cultivation. 
Growers  often  find  it  necessary  to  remove  the  old  rhizomes  and 
other  root  material  from  the  soil  and  to  prepare  the  field  thoroughly 
again  after  4,  5,  or  8  years,  depending  upon  conditions.  One  of  the 
most  productive  local  fields  of  Chinese  banana  is  now  (1925)  in 
its  ninth  year  of  production  from  setting  of  suckers.  The  soil  in 
this  field  was  deeply  plowed  and  was  in  excellent  condition  when 
thoroughly  prepared  prior  to  setting  selected  suckers  and  has  re- 
ceived theT  best  of  care.  Fields  in  certain  parts  of  Central  America 
are  said  to  have  continued  to  produce  during  20  years  from  a  single 
planting. 

HARVESTING  AND  SHIPPING 

The  banana,  like  the  avocado  and  some  other  fruits,  ripens  best 
when  it  is  picked  green.  This  fact  has  greatly  helped  to  develop 
the  banana  industry  of  the  Tropics  as  a  source  of  supply  of  an  all- 
the-year-round  fruit  for  the  numerous  markets  of  the  Temperate 
Zone.  The  best  conditions  for  proper  ripening  of  the  banana  rarely 
exists  naturally  in  those  parts  of  the  world  where  the  fruit  is  exten- 
sively grown,  or  in  the  still  wider  range  where  much  of  it  is  con- 
sumed. Usually,  the  jobber  receiving  the  green  fruit  has  the  re- 
sponsibility of  ripening  it.  A  careful  study  of  the  banana  showed 
the  ripening  process  to  be  governed  by  highly  important  factors 
such  as  regulation  of  temperature,  humidity,  and  fresh-air  supply. 
Only  in  the  carefully  regulated  ripening  room  is  the  high  quality 
of  the  fruit  developed.  It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  Hawaiian 
bananas  which  are  shipped  to  the  markets  of  the  mainland  and  prop- 
erly ripened  in  the  ripening  rooms  are  superior  to  the  same  kind  of 
fruit  cut  for  local  market  and  ripened  in  the  open  air  of  retail  stores. 

In  regard  to  range  of  time  of  harvesting,  the  banana  is  less  exact- 
ing than  are  most  fruits.  If  the  fruit  is  to  be  shipped  long  distances, 
it  must  be  cut  from  the  plant  earlier  than  if  intended  for  use  nearer 
the  plantation.  The  fruit  should  be  allowed  to  get  plump  before 
the  bunch  is  severed  from  the  plant,  but  not  to  develop  to  the  stage 
where  it  will  ripen  and  decay  before  reaching  the  consumer.  The 
exact  stage  of  maturity  suitable  for  certain  occasions  can  be  deter- 
mined only  by  experience.  The  terms  "  full,"  "  too  full,"  and  the 
like  are  commonly  used  to  express  stages  of  maturity.  The  fruit 
should  be  given  the  greatest  care  during  all  the  work  of  harvesting 
and  shipping  to  avoid  bruising. 

The  bunches  are  cut  from  the  plant  with  iy2  to  2  feet  of  stem  left 
above  the  fruit  to  serve  as  a  convenience  in  handling  it  and  to  aid  in 
keeping  it  fresh  while  in  transit.  Usually  three  men  work  together 
to  harvest  the  fruit  of  the  dwarf  varieties,  the  first  man  holding  the 
bunch,  the  second  man  severing  it,  and  the  third  man  carrying  it  to 
the  nearest  field  road.  In  harvesting  the  fruit  of  the  higher-growing 
varieties  the  cutter  hacks  the  trunk  slightly  above  the  middle  on  the 
side  toward  which  the  bunch  is  to  fall,  taking  care  that  it  docs  not 
fall  against  or  injure  any  other  plant.  The  top  of  the  plant  with  its 
bunch  of  fruit  is  gradually  lowered  to  a  workman,  who  hold-  the 


20  BULLETIN    55,    HAWAII   EXPERIMENT    STATION 

bunch  while  it  is  being  severed.  The  bunches  are  then  collected  and 
placed  on  light  autotrucks  and  taken  to  the  packing  shed,  where  they 
are  set  upright  on  straw. 

The  packing  shed,  usually  a  rectangular  structure  with  corrugated 
iron  roof,  has  two  open  sides  to  permit  convenient  handling  of  the 
fruit.  The  earthen  floor  is  covered  with  a  liberal  supply  of  straw  to 
protect  the  fruit  from  bruising.  The  dimensions  of  the  structure 
depend  upon  the  size  of  the  field  to  be  accommodated,  a  convenient 
size  being  20  to  40  feet,  with  one  packing  shed  to  each  20-acre  unit  of 
the  plantation.  Near  the  shed  is  the  washing  rack,  consisting  of 
a  long  ridgepole  supported  horizontally  at  about  7  feet  above  a 
slat  floor,  and  from  which  are  suspended  ropes  looped  to  support  the 
bunches  conveniently.  The  fruit  is  carried  to  the  washing  rack, 
where  it  is  hung  and  then  washed  to  remove  dust,  trash,  and  insects 
(pi.  G,  B).  The  fruit  is  finally  returned  to  its  place  in  the  packing 
shed  for  weighing,  marking,  and  grading.  Four  or  five  hours  later, 
when  the  bunches  have  thoroughly  dried,  the  fruit  is  inspected  in 
accordance  with  the  plant  quarantine  regulations  of  the  United 
States  Department  of  Agriculture  and  is  ready  for  wrapping. 

In  Hawaii  each  standard  bunch  of  bananas  used  for  exportation  is 
wrapped  separately  in  a  protective  covering  consisting  of  (1)  paper, 
(2)  rice  straw,  and  (3)  banana  leaves.  The  leaves  are  long,  tough, 
and  very  light,  and  are  bound  about  with  cheap  cord  or  the  fibrous 
midrib  of  the  banana  leaf.  Such  wrapping  material  permits  free 
circulation  of  fresh  air  about  the  fruit,  and  is  deemed  very  necessary 
when  shipping  the  fruit  without  refrigeration.  The  cost  of  wrap- 
ping is  estimated  to  be  about  5  cents  per  bunch  of  fruit. 

The  local  banana  industry  has  developed  slowly  with  the  steady 
increase  of  proper  shipping  facilities  between  the  islands  and  the 
mainland.  Commercial  production  amounts  to  about  *200,000 
bunches  annually.  Table  7  gives  the  number  of  bunches  and  valua- 
tion of  bananas  exported  from  the  islands  since  1856,  when  the  first 
shipment  was  made. 

As  the  banana  industry  in  Hawaii  continues  to  develop,  methods 
of  shipping  the  fruit  will  probably  improve.  The  industry  can 
not  make  rapid  growth  until  shipping  facilities  are  increased,  and 
steamship  companies  are  not  likely  to  increase  their  special  shipping 
equipment  unless  they  are  assured  of  a  steady  supply  of  freight. 
The  interests  of  the  two  are  mutual.  The  local  banana  grower  has 
long  been  compelled  to  export  his  fruit  as  deck  freight,  which  is 
not  always  a  satisfactory  method.  A  change  of  schedule,  made  re- 
gardless of  perishable  freight,  may  result  in  partial  or  complete 
spoilage  of  bananas,  the  loss  of  which  the  grower  must  stand.  Venti- 
lation afforded  deck  freight  may  be  better  than  that  in  the  holds 
of  some  vessels,  but  neither  the  circulation  nor  the  temperature  of 
the  air  can  be  regulated  as  desired.  Specially  designed  steamers 
having  a  part  of  their  freighting  capacity  equipped  with  the  modern 
cooling  system,  such  as  is  used  in  transporting  fruit  similar  dis- 
tances from  Central  American  ports,  would  seem  adaptable  to 
Hawaiian  banana  transportation.  The  cooling  system  makes  it 
possible  to  maintain  the  desirable  temperature  of  5G°  F.,  in  mod- 
erately warm  climates  such  as  occur  between  Hawaii  and  Pacific 
coast  ports  of  the  mainland. 


Bui.  55,  Hawaii  Agr.  Expt.  Station 


Plate  6 


A.— Hand  of  "Ilai"  bananas,  a  native  variety  of  the  Maoli  group.  One  of  the  best  kinds  for 
rooking.     A  single  fruit  weighs  a  pound 

B. — Washing  the  bunches  of  fruit  to  remove  dust  and  any  insects  lurking  among  the  bananas. 
The  fruit  is  then  placed  in  the  packing  shed,  where  it  remains  about  a  day  to  dry  thor- 
oughly.    It  is  then  wrapped  for  shipping 


BANANA   CULTURE   TN    HAWAII 


21 


Table  7. 


■Number   of   bunches   and    valuation    of    bundles    exported    from    the 

Hawaiian  lsj<ni<ls ' 


Year 

Number 

of 
bunches 

Valuation 

Year 

Number 

of 
bunches 

Valuation 

L856 

93 

1891 

116,660 
105,375 

92,  909 

113,  118 

98,  164 

120,  659 

74,759 

79,  482 

88,416 

9,  733 

$179,  501.  00 

1 857 

1892. 

1893 „ 

104,945.00 

1 858 

150 

92,  020.  00 

1894 

112,930.  75 

I860 

1895 

97,813.00 

1861 

1896 

121,273.00 

1862 

121 

60 
1,781 
1,211 
1.771 
2,913 
:•!.  966 
6,936 
4,007 
4,280 
4,508 
6,492 
6,449 
10,518 

14,  982 

15,  995 
18,  431 
12,  369 
19, 164 
20,  776 
18,  848 

44,  902 
58,  040 
60,  046 

45,  862 
58,  938 
71,  335 

105.  630 
97,  201 

1897 

71,364.50 

S 

1898 

65,  H8.61 

1864 

1899 

1900 

83,  1 93.  82 

3   " 

9,  317.  00 

- 

1901 

74,  4 1 4.  00 

1867                   

1902 

70,  888.  00 

-  g 

1903 

66,  180.00 

1869 

1904 

91,  338.  00 

1870      

1905 

120,653.00 

1871 

1906 

131,  806.  00 

1872 

1907 

1 15,  771.  00 

1S73 

1908 

160,  944.  00 

1^74 

1909 

209,  676.  00 

Jft 

1910. 

87.615 
183,  201 
226,  445 
223.  762 
200,  482 
280,  629 
244,  118 
243,  558 
119,019 
115,127 
182,  772 
154,  423 
217,  722 
206,  552 
222.138 
255,  641 

51,  229.  00 

1876. 

1911. 

108,414.00 

1912. 

140,  720.  00 

1878... 

1913... 

143,  472.  00 

1879... 

1914 

126,455.00 

1880... 

1915. .. 

189,  578.  00 

1916     . 

166,977.00 



1882 

1917.. 

170,368.00 

1883 

1918... 

90,  988.  00 

1884 

1919... 

102,  796.  00 

1885 

$58,  803.  50 
43, 824.  25 
54,  703.  25 
69,  208.  00 
135.278.00 
178,  351.  00 

1920. .. 

76,  020.  00 

1886 

1921 

1922 

1923 

1924 

1925 

151,968.00 

1887 

1888 

214,  255.  00 
212,  624.  00 

1889 

211,343.00 

1890 

1  Compiled  from  published  reports  of  the  Customs  House,  Honolulu.  No  records  of  values  are  given 
for  the  period  1856-1885,  and  no  records  of  bunches  for  the  period  1901-1910.  All  data  are  for  the  calendar 
year  except  for  the  period  1901-1910,  which  was  for  the  fiscal  year.  The  valuations  of  the  period  1905-1909, 
inclusive,  include  those  for  shipments  of  pineapples  (fresh  fruit),  which  probably  amounted  to  50  per  cent. 
The  number  of  bunches  inspected  for  export  for  the  year  1925  was  furnished  by  the  Federal  Horticultural 
Board,  Honolulu. 


Bananas  from  Central  American  and  West  Indian  ports  are  sent 
long  distances  in  regular  steamers  usually  having  cold-storage 
capacity  for  10,000  to  20,000  bunches,  and  carrying  passengers  and 
general  freight  as  Avell.  Although  the  banana  does  not  require  the 
low  temperature  necessary  in  transporting  frozen  meat,  it  does  re- 
quire a  complicated  cooling  apparatus  to  maintain  a  constant  cir- 
culation of  fresh  air  because  of  the  heat  which  the  fruit  is  constantly 
generating  by  respiration.  Usually,  the  ships  are  equipped  with 
loading  and  unloading  apparatus  enabling  them  to  receive  and  dis- 
charge about  2,000  bunches  of  fruit  per  hour.  The  fruit  is  carried 
into  different  parts  of  the  United  States  by  box  cars  or  refrigerator 
cars,  depending  upon  the  season  and  the  distance  to  be  covered.  In 
winter  the  cars  are  often  heavily  lined  with  paper  and  the  fruit  is 
packed  in  straw  as  a  protection  against  the  cold.  In  summer  re- 
frigerator cars  are  used  to  prevent  undue  ripening  on  long  journeys. 

ENEMIES 

Enemies  of  the  banana  in  Hawaii  are  mainly  insects,  fungus  dis- 

5,  rats,  and   possibly  nematode  worms,  none  of  which  has  given 

serious  trouble     The  Japanese  beetle   (Adorer us  umbrosus)  is    oc- 


22  BULLETIN    55,    HAWAII   EXPERIMENT    STATION 

casionally  found  feeding  upon  the  foliage  of  the  plant.  Damage 
from  fungus  diseases,  the  banana  freckle  disease  excepted,  is  neg- 
ligible. The  cane  borer  (Sphenophorus  obseums)  is  no  longer  a  pest 
of  the  banana  plant  in  Hawaii,  having  been  almost  completely  ex- 
terminated by  the  tachinid  fly  Ceromasia  sphenophori,  which  was 
introduced  into  Hawaii  in  1910  by  the  Sugar  Planters'  Association 
Experiment  Station  to  check  the  ravages  of  the  pest. 

The  mealybug  Pseudococcus  bromelim  is  found  in  masses  between 
the  fruits  in  some  localities  during  the  drier  months  of  the  year,  and 
although  it  does  not  seriously  retard  development  of  the  fruit  it 
does  make  it  unclean.  The  pest  may  be  removed  by  washing  the 
severed  bunches  with  streams  of  water  from  a  force  pump.  P.  bro- 
melice  also  attacks  young  suckers  and  injures  them  considerably; 
and  it  collects  under  the  leaves  and  the  inner  side  of  the  outer 
sheaths  where  it  feeds  upon  the  sap,  greatly  retarding  growth.  The 
pest  may  be  controlled  by  spraying  with  an  oil  emulsion. 

Notwithstanding  the  investigations  made  since  1910  to  determine 
to  what  extent  the  banana  in  Hawaii  is  attacked  by  the  Mediter- 
ranean fruit  fly  {Ceratitis  capitata),  no  evidence  has  been  obtained 
indicating  that  commercial  varieties  are  susceptible  to  attack  by  the 
pest.  This  fact  has  failed  to  receive  the  publicity  to  which  the 
banana  industry  is  justly  entitled. 

When  the  Mediterranean  fruit  fly  was  discovered  to  be  well  estab- 
lished in  Hawaii,  the  Bureau  of  Entomology  of  the  United  States 
Department  of  Agriculture,  at  the  request  of  the  Federal  Horticul- 
tural Board,  began  an  investigation  covering  three  years  (1912-1915) 
to  learn  which  fruits  should  be  prohibited  from  exportation.  A 
summary  of  the  findings  (3)  in  so  far  as  the  banana  is  concerned 
and  a  report  (4)  of  the  field  work  done  were  published  later.  It  is 
to  be  regretted  that  the  investigators  did  not  have  at  the  time  a 
clear  classification  of  all  the  banana  varieties  growing  in  Hawaii  so 
that  each  variety  could  have  been  fully  tested  to  determine  its 
susceptibility  to  fruit-fly  attack.  The  report  of  the  possible  infec- 
tion of  two  thin-skinned  native  varieties,  the  Popoulu  and  the  Moa, 
when  allowed  to  ripen  on  the  plants,  has  probably  led  uninformed 
persons  to  believe  that  all  Hawaiian  varieties  are  attacked  by  the 
Mediterranean  fruit  fly.  The  Popoulu  and  Moa  varieties  are  rarely 
eaten  raw  or  shipped  from  the  islands.  They  are  scarce  and  are 
strikingly  distinct  from  both  ordinary  cooking  bananas  and  the 
commercial  varieties. 

Examination  of  approximately  27,000  fruits  of  the  Chinese  variety 
in  the  Moanalua  fields,  Oahu,  in  1913,  showed  no  evidence  of  fruit-fly 
infestation  or  of  egg  puncture.  Examination  of  3,-500  bananas  of 
the  same  variety  at  Kalauao,  Oahu,  gave  negative  results,  and  1.000 
bananas  of  this  variety  which  were  considered  too  mature  for  ship- 
ment gave  no  evidence  of  fruit-fly  infestation  when  held  in  the  insect 
hatchery  of  the  laboratory.  A  lot  of  1,044  bananas  discarded  for 
similar  reasons  gave  negative  results  when  examined  in  the  labora- 
tory. Fully  ripened  fruits  of  the  Chinese  and  Apple  varieties  grow- 
ing among  many  other  kinds  of  fruits  showed  no  evidence  of  infesta- 
tion, and  some  50  fruits  of  the  Ice  Cream  variety,  cut  in  1914  from 


BANANA   CULTURE   IN    HAWAII  23 

the  plant  as  they  ripened,  were  found  not  to  be  infested,  although 
growing  in  the  midst  of  many  other  species  of  fruits.  Five  hundred 
overripe  fruits  of  Manila  hemp  or  abaca  (Musa  textilis)  and  60 
ripe  fruits  of  Borabora  bananas  (J/,  fehi)  growing  in  the  mountain 
gorges  at  the  head  of  Manoa  Valley,  Oahu,  were  found  to  be  free 
from  infestation. 

A  number  of  experiments  have  been  conducted  in  both  the  field  and 
laboratory  to  learn  why  bananas  are  immune  from  attack  by  the 
Mediterranean  fruit  fly.  It  was  lon<r  thought  that  the  fruit  was 
afforded  protection  by  other  plants  for  which  the  fly  had  a  pref- 
erence. Results  of  experiments  failed  to  confirm  this  belief,  however. 
When  attempts  failed  to  force  the  female  fly  to  oviposit  in  bananas 
that  were  sufficiently  mature  to  ship,  freshly  laid  eggs  were  taken 
from  another  kind  of  fruit  and  placed  in  incisions  made  in  the 
banana,  each  bunch  of  which  was  marked.  Some  of  the  eggs  hatched, 
but  the  larvae  died  before  entering  the  pulp. 

During  the  13  years  the  local  representatives  of  the  Federal  De- 
partment of  Agriculture  have  supervised  the  inspection  of  bananas 
for  shipment  no  fruit  fly  infestation  has  been  discovered  among  either 
green  or  ripe  bananas  grown  under  normal  field  conditions. 

The  freckle  disease  (Phoma  mus(e),  the  most  serious  known  to 
local  banana  growers,  was  described  by  Carpenter  in  1918  (7,  p.  36). 
The  disease  attacks  almost  exclusively  the  Chinese  banana,  but  has 
also  been  observed  on  the  foliage  and  fruit  of  the  Lady  Finger  and 
Father  Leonore  varieties.  The  disease  does  the  most  damage  during 
the  months  of  greatest  moisture.  The  earlier  stages  of  growth  and 
spore  production  of  the  fungus  take  place  in  the  tissues  of  the  foliage. 
Later  the  spores  fall  upon  bunches  of  fruit  which  are  approaching 
maturity  and  cause  the  skin  to  blacken  in  specks  or  freckles.  The 
freckles  usually  occur  mainly  on  the  fruit  of  the  upper  part  of  the 
bunch.  Damage  lies  largely  in  the  spotted  appearance  of  the  skin 
and  becomes  more  evident  as  the  fruit  ripens  and  attains  full  color. 
The  disease  is  largely  controlled  by  spraying  with  Bordeaux  mixture 
and  by  wrapping  the  bunch  of  fruit,  several  weeks  before  it  reaches 
full  size,  with  newspapers  or  with  a  tough  paper  slip  which  is  manu- 
factured for  the  purpose.  It  is  important  that  the  wrapper  com- 
pletely cover  the  upper  part  of  the  bunch. 

The  tree  rat  (Mils  rattus),  sometimes  called  the  black  rat  or  the 
blue  rat.  climbs  up  on  the  banana  plant  and  eats  part  of  the  matur- 
ing fruits.  Although  it  seldom  seriously  damages  commercial  fields 
where  the  fruit  is  picked  green  for  shipment,  it  does  considerable 
injury  to  bananas  growing  in  gardens  or  wild  in  the  mountains, 
where  the  fruit  naturally  ripens  on  the  plants.  The  tree  rat  is  easily 
identified  by  its  long,  slender  snout,  large  ears,  and  body  of  dark 
bluish  color;  it  nests  usually  in  the  tree  tops  and  occasionally  in 
hidden  places  on  the  ground.  The  rat  feeds  upon  many  kinds  of 
fruits  and  nuts,  and  has  a  particular  liking  for  coconuts,  bananas,  and 
algaroba  beans.  The  pest  is  best  controlled  by  shooting,  using  light 
charges  of  small  shot. 


24  BULLETIN   55,    HAWAII  EXPERIMENT  STATION 

DESCRIPTION  OF  VARIETIES < 

According  to  a  manuscript,  written  in  1870,  by  G.  P.  Kalokuoka- 
maile,  of  Xapoopoo.  Hawaii,  fully  70  varieties  of  bananas  were 
known  to  the  old  Hawaiians  of  the  Kona  district,  and  large  areas 
of  the  Kona  woods  were  covered  with  banana  plants  at  one  time. 
It  is  also  known  that  half  a  century  ago  wild  bananas  covered  large 
areas  in  East  Hawaii,  which  are  now  utilized  for  grazing.  Appar- 
ently many  varieties  that  were  formerly  grown  there  have  disap- 
peared. Some  so-called  native  varieties,  for  instance,  which  are 
mentioned  in  locally  published  old  lists,  can  not  be  found,  and  a 
number  of  varieties  that  were  introduced  from  the  West  Indies  by 
the  station  in  1904-1905  no  longer  grow  in  the  islands. 

The  varieties  described  in  this  bulletin  were  grown  at  the  central 
station  in  Honolulu,  or  in  commercial  fields  in  different  parts  of  the 
Territory.  In  a  number  of  instances  the  Hawaiian  or  native  varie- 
ties were  examined  and  photographed  growing  wild  in  the  forest. 
The  varieties,  including  some  not  found  by  the  writer,  have  been 
arranged  in  two  divisions,  introduced  varieties  and  Hawaiian  or 
native  varieties. 

The  introduced  varieties  are  those  brought  in  since  the  discovery 
of  the  islands  by  Captain  Cook  in  1778,  and  include  the  Chinese  or 
Cavendish,  Bluefields  or  Gros  Michel,  Brazilian,  Red.  Green  Red 
(a  bud  mutation  of  the  Red  variety),  Hamakua,  Lady  Finger,  Bora- 
bora  or  Fei,  Ice  Cream,  Eslesno,  Apple,  Chamaluco,  Father  Leonore, 
Largo.  Colorado  Blanco,  Abyssinian,  Kusaie,  abaca  or  Manila 
hemp,8  and  common  and  dwarf  plantain  varieties. 

The  Kusaie  variet}^  although  of  Pacific  origin,  is  of  rather  recent 
introduction,  and  has  been  briefly  described  by  Higgins  (13»p.  4G). 
Specimens  of  the  plant  were  not  found  by  the  writer,  but  interested 
people  about  Hilo,  Hawaii,  seem  to  be  familiar  with  the  variety. 

The  Hawaiian  or  native  varieties  are  supposedly  of  Polynesian 
origin,  and  fall  into  three  groups,  the  Maoli,  Iholena,  and  Popoulu, 
with  seA^eral  additional  varieties,  the  leading  characters  of  which 
apparently  are  not  related  to  any  of  the  groups.  The  Maoli  group 
includes  the  Maiamaoli,  Hai,  Haikea  (a  subvariety  of  Hai),  Manai- 
ula  or  Malaiula,  Kaualau,  Eleele,  also  known  as  Poni  and  Hinupuaa, 
Koae  or  Aeae,  Mahoe  or  Palua,  Puhi,  Eka,  Iho-u.  and  Loha  varie- 
ties; the  Iholena  group  includes  the  Iholena  or  Hilahila.  Kapua  or 
Puapuanui,  Lele,  and  Haa  or  Haahaa  varieties;  and  the  Popoulu 
group  includes  the  Popoulu,  Kaio,  Moa  or  Huamoa,  Nou,  and  Lahi 
varieties.  The  varieties  not  falling  into  any  of  the  three  groups 
are  the  Maia  hapae  and  Maia  Oa. 

The  Loha,  Lahi,  Xou.  Maia  hapai,  and  Haa  varieties  were  not 
found  by  the  writer,  and  are  briefly  described  by  Higgins   (i-5,  pp. 

7  Spelling  <;f  names  and  grouping  of  varieties  do  not  agree  in  all  instances  with  the 
classification  used  by  Higgins  (1-1).  The  changes  were  made  only  after  careful  investiga- 
tion and  consultation  with  a  number  of  well-informed  persons  on  the  subject,  including 
T.  C.  White,  of  Kona  :  G.  P.  Wilder  and  A.  J.  Campbell,  of  Honolulu;  F.  Gay.  of  Kauai; 
and  T.  Kelsey,  of  Hilo. 

8  Abaca  plants  are  found  growing  among  banana  plants  in  many  parts  of  the  Territory. 
and  ordinarily  can  not  be  distinguished  from  them.  The  fruit  is  frequently  sent  to  the 
station  with  inquiries  as  to  "  why  these  bananas  produce  seeds."  It  is  mentioned  among 
the  introduced  varieties  and  is  described  on  page  35  in  order  that  growers  may  readily 
identify  the  species,  which  is  of  value  in  cross-pollination  work  because  of  its  production 
of  abundant  pollen. 


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BAN  AX  A    CULTURE    IN    HAWAII  25 

51,  52,  53),  and  are  known  to  others.  The  Mala  Oa  and  Abyssinian 
varieties  are  very  rare,  occasionally  being  grown  for  ornamental 
purposes.  The  fruits  of  the  abaea,  and  Abyssinian  and  Oa  varie- 
ties are  not  edible,  but  are  of  value  because  of  their  production  of 
abundant  pollen. 

INTRODUCED   VARIETIES 
CAVENDISH    OB   CHINESE 

The  Covendish  or  Chinese  banana  (Xo.  4498) 9  is  the  leading  com- 
mercial variety  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  its  wonderful  adaptability 
to  local  conditions  making  it  rank  supreme  among  the  many  banana 
varieties  so  far  cultivated  (pi.  7,  A).  The  brief  history  of  its  origin 
is  interesting: 

The  dwarf  banana  was  found  growing  in  southern  China  by  early 
travelers  to  the  Orient,  and  in  1826  was  brought  to  Mauritius,  Indian 
Ocean,  by  Charles  Telfair,  who  seems  to  have  been  the  first  Euro- 
pean to  obtain  plants  of  the  species.  The  dwarf  plants  grew  vigor- 
ously, fruited  profusely,  and  seemed  to  be  practically  immune  from 
attack  by  insect  pests  and  disease,  convincing  the  grower  of  the 
superiority  of  the  species  over  all  other  banana  species  in  his  exten- 
sive collection.  Two  plants,  sent  to  a  Mr.  Barclay,  of  Burryhill, 
England,  in  1829,  were  grown  in  a  hothouse  and  propagated  by 
means  of  offshoots.  After  the  death  of  Mr.  Barclay,  one  of  the 
plants  was  sold  to  the  Duke  of  Devonshire  and  grown  at  Chatsworth 
in  1836  by  the  gardener,  a  Mr.  Paxton.  The  gardener  published 
a  description  of  the  plant  in  the  Magazine  of  Botany  for  1837  (11, 
p.  197).  A.  B.  Lambert,  a  European  botanist  whose  extensive  her- 
barium was  open  to  every  man  of  science,  made  a  study  of  the  dwarf 
banana  in  1836  and  exhibited  some  of  the  plants  at  a  meeting  of  the 
Linnean  Society  in  London,  together  with  an  old  Chinese  drawing 
which  he  believed  identified  the  origin  of  the  species  Mr.  Lambert 
gave  the  dwarf  banana  the  specific  name  of  ca\~endishii,  probably 
in  honor  of  Henry  Cavendish  (1731-1810),  a  noted  English  scientist. 
and  relative  of  the  Duke  of  Devonshire.  The  Chatsworth  gardens 
were  the  original  source  of  all  the  Cavendish  bananas  for  commercial 
cultivation. 

John  Williams,  a  missionary  of  the  South  Sea  Islands,  who  heard 
of  the  dwarf  species  at  Chatsworth  upon  his  return  to  England  in 
1834,  carried  some  of  the  plants  in  1838  to  Tonga,  Samoa,  and  the 
Society  Islands,  where  they  were  propagated  and  flourished.  Ten 
years  later  the  species  was  introduced  into  the  Friendly  Islands  and 
Fiji,  where  it  effectively  put  a  stop  to  occasional  famines. 

According  to  Hillebrand  (14.  p.  443),  the  Cavendish  or  Chinese 
banana  (Musa  cayendishii)  was  introduced  into  the  Hawaiian 
Islands  from  Tahiti  about  the  year  1855.  In  a  very  short  time  it 
superseded  all  other  varieties  on  account  of  its  superior  fruiting 
qualities  and  its  low  form  of  growth,  which  affords  it  protection  from 
high  winds.  Within  the  last  hundred  year-  the  species  has  been 
introduced  into  Egypt,  Brazil,  French  Guiana,  Barbados,  Trinidad, 

Accession  number  under  whicb   the  variety  baa  !><•<  n   propagated  at   the  nation. 


26  BULLETIN    55,    HAWAII   EXPERIMENT    STATION 

North  Australia,  and  the  Canary  Islands,  where  it  is  being  cultivated 
with  success  as  a  commercial  banana. 

Plants. — From  8  to  12  feet  high;  trunks,  erect  or  slightly  reclining,  4  to  8 
feet  long,  8  to  14  inches  in  diameter  at  base.  Leaves,  8  to  10,  spiral  arrange- 
ment of  petioles  distinct,  length  4  to  6  feet,  short,  stout  petioles,  green  with  pink 
or  red  margins;  blades  short  and  broad,  glaucous,  both  sides  joining  petiole 
evenly  (pi.  2,  B). 

Floivers. — Pistillate,  8  to  9  centimeters  long,  ovary  green,  angular,  slightly 
curved;  perianth,  small,  drab,  5-lobed,  yellow,  rolled,  middle  lobes  the  largest. 
Petal,  cream  colored  or  translucent,  keeled,  apicula  erect,  pale  yellow ;  stamens, 
rudimentary ;  pistil,  style  straight,  slim,  stigma  irregularly  lobed,  yellowish  to 
drab  in  color. 

Staminate  flower  5.5  centimeters  long,  ovary  clubbed,  apple  green  in  color ; 
perianth,  whitish,  5-lobed,  yellow,  middle  and  two  outside  lobes  long,  two 
secondary  small.  Petal  1.8  centimeters  long,  translucent;  apicula  erect,  cream 
colored,  and  with  point  of  petal  on  each  side  of  base.  Stamens  5,  long  as  pistil, 
anthers  cream  colored,  darkening  at  margins  with  age.  Style  white,  slim ; 
stigma  small,  irregularly  lobed.  The  rachis  often  extends  nearly  to  the  ground 
and  the  dead  staminate  flowers  and  bracts  are  persistent. 

Fruit. — From  6  to  8  inches  long,  1%  to  2  inches  in  diameter,  usually  curved, 
angular  when  young,  but  without  angles  at  full  ripeness ;  base  tapering  to 
short  pedicel,  apex  blunt,  skin  yellow  when  ripe,  medium  thickness ;  pulp, 
cream  colored,  sweet,  and  of  pleasing  flavor.  The  bunches  vary  from  50  to 
125  pounds,  depending  upon  the  culture. 

BLUEFIELDS    OR    GROS    MICHEL 

About  the  year  1840  an  improved  type  of  banana  was  observed  in 
Martinique,  West  Indies,  and  introduced  by  Jean  Francisco  Pouyat 
into  Jamaica,  where  the  variety  was  called  the  "  Pouyat  "  or  the 
"Martinique"  (10,  p.  155).  It  was  the  leading  banana  of  Jamaica 
for  many  years,  and  became  known  as  the  Jamaica  or  Gros  Michel 
after  the  banana  industry  in  Costa  Rica  began  to  develop.  The 
variety  is  now  well  established  in  Fiji,  New  Guinea,  and  .Queens- 
land, where  it  is  known  as  the  Gros  Michel.  It  was  introduced 
into  Hawaii  early  in  1903  by  Philip  Peck,  of  Hilo,  and  by  the 
Territorial  Board  of  Agriculture  and  Forestry  near  the  close  of  the 
same  year  (13,  p.  42).  The  following  year  the  station  introduced 
130  "heads,"  or  bases  of  large  suckers  (Ace.  No.  72),  from  the  port 
of  Bluefields,  Nicaragua.  These  reached  Honolulu  December  26, 
1904,  via  New  Orleans  and  San  Francisco.  After  this  introduction 
the  banana  was  generally  known  as  the  Bluefields  (No.  4544). 
Botanically,  it  is  a  variety  of  Musa  sapientum. 

Plants. — Tall,  with  upright  trunks  varying  from  15.  to  20  feet,  12  inches 
in  diameter  at  the  base;  outer  sheaths  green,  with  blackish  and  reddish 
blotches.  In  some  localities  where  there  is  an  abundance  of  sunlight,  the 
petioles  and  midribs  of  the  underside  of  the  leaves,  as  well  as  the  younger 
growth,  are  washed  with  a  cast  of  red.  The  plants  sucker  freely,  forming  large 
clumps.  The  bunches  are  on  long,  stout,  well-curved  steins,  which  hang  nearly 
straight  down.  The  hands  of  fruit  are  compact  and  stand  nearly  parallel  with 
the  stem.  As  the  pistillate  fruits  are  forming,  the  rachis  continues  to  extend 
to  considerable  length,  shedding  its  staminate  flowers  and  developing  a  char- 
acteristic bend  which  is  peculiar  to  few  varieties  (pi.  8,  A). 

Flowers. — Pistillate,  about  14  centimeters  long;  ovary,  large,  light  green; 
perianth,  whitish,  with  cast  of  brown  appearing  as  streaks  or  splotches  in  a 
lew  hours  after  exposure  from  under  the  rising  bract;  perianth  lobes,  5,  the 
two  outer  long  and  pointed,  middle,  short  and  wider,  the  two  intermediate, 
small;  all  lobes  tipped  with  yellow.  Corolla  consisting  of  a  single  free  petal, 
white  to  iridescent.  2.8  centimeters  long,  broadly  keeled,  margin  of  sides 
turned  inward,  apicula  turned  inward  and  upward.  Stamens,  rudimentary 
and    without    anthers,    pointed,    shorter    than    perianth.      Pistil,    style    stout, 


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BANAXA   CULTURE   IN    HAWAII  27 

whitish,  3.6  centimeters  long.    Stigma,  large,  irregularly  3  to  G  lobed,  brownish 

and  often  marked  with  small  reddish  spots. 

Staminate  flower,  whitish.  7.5  centimeters  Ions ;  ovary,  club-shaped,  2  to  3 
centimeters  Long;  perianth,  lightly  shaded  with  brown,  5-lobed,  the  two  out- 
side Ions  and  pointed,  middle,  shorter  and  broader,  and  two  intermediate, 
all  tipped  with  yellow.  Free  petal.  2.5  centimeters  Ions,  translucent,  several 
folds  at  base  of'  a  rather  prominent  apicnla.  Stamens,  5,  longer  than  pistil, 
anthers,  curved  outward,  brownish  at  margins.  Pistil,  style  slim  and  white, 
nearly  as  long  as  stamens,  stigma,  small  and  irregularly  lobed. 

Fruit, — Bunches,  large,  ranging  from  C>0  to  150  pounds,  7  to  10  or  more  hands, 
withstand  shipping  green  without  wrapping  fairly  well ;  individual  fruit,  7  to 
9  inches  long,  tapering  pedicel,  beaked  apex,  nearly  straight,  apex  often 
slightly  turned  outward.  4  to  5  angled,  the  ridges  almost  disappearing  at  fall 
maturity:  skin,  thick,  bright  yellow:  flesh  firm,  core  indistinct,  consistency 
and  flavor  excellent  (pi.  8,  B). 

BRAZILIAN 

How  the  Brazilian  variety  (Xo.  4494)  came  to  be  so  named  is  not 
known.  Hillebrand  (1^.  p.  433)  states  that  the  variety  was  intro- 
duced into  Hawaii  from  Java  about  1855,  via  Tahiti.  Society  Islands. 
Higgins  (/•;.  p.  45)  believes  the  variety  to  be  either  Pisan<r  radjah 
or  Pisano;  medja,  "the  desert  banana"  of  Java.  It  is  £rown  on  all 
the  larger  islands  of  the  Hawaiian  group  and  is  commonly  found  on 
the  local  markets.  The  area  devoted  to  the  variety  has  been  greatly 
extended  on  windward  Oaliu  during  the  past  three  years  (1923- 
1925).  The  Brazilian  is  designated  by  the  Chinese  as  "Park-yuk," 
meaning  "white  flesh,"  and  sometimes  it  is  erroneously  called  the 
Apple  banana.  The  variety  withstands  considerable  wind  and  is 
often  used  as  a  windbreak  for  other  varieties.  Results  of  experi- 
ments show  that  the  fruit  can  be  satisfactorily  shipped  to  the  markets 
of  the  Pacific  coast. 

Plants. — Size,  medium  to  large;  trunks,  12  to  20  feet  tall;  color,  green  tinged 
with  pink,  upper  parts  of  sheath  coverings  being  marked  with  irregular  patches 
of  dark  brown  :  petioles,  2  to  3  feet  long,  stout:  blades,  light  green,  7  to  10  feet 
long,  22  to  27  inches  broad.  Young  sheaths  and  petioles,  frosted  with  a  bloom. 
The  rootstocks  sucker  freely. 

Flowers. — Pistillate.  4.7  centimeters  long  ;  ovary,  light  green  in  color  ;  perianth, 
whitish    in    color,    turning  drab   to   brownish   with   age;    5  lobes,   3  large   and 

2  secondary,  small,  all  bright  lemon  yellow  in  color.  Petal,  large,  broad,  and 
translucent,  apicnla  turned  inward,  stamens  short,  rudimentary,  black  pointed. 

Staminate  flowers.  G..*>  centimeters  long;  ovary,  cream  colored,  washed  with 
red:    perianth,    cream    colored    turning    drab    or    grayish    with    age;    5   lobes, 

3  large  and  2  secondary,  small,  all  bright  lemon  yellow;  petal,  white,  translu- 
cent bladdery,  apicnla.  small,  erect,  with  shorter  projections  on  each  side  of 
base.  Style,  slim,  white  :  stigma,  small  and  oblong,  irregularly  lobed.  extending 
to  about  the  same  length  as  perianth;  stamens  5,  shorter  than  perianth,  some- 
times 3  short  and  2  long;  anthers,  very  black,  imperfect;  some  nectar  in  petal 
about  base  of  style. 

Fruit. — Bunch,  small  to  medium  size;  may  weigh  45  pounds  or  more  when  the 
variety  is  given  good  culture.  The  variety  may  invariably  be  identified  by  the 
basal  hand  of  curved  fruits  which  are  twisted  upward  irregularly.  Individual 
fruits  at  maturity  are  about  C>  inches  long;  flower  cud  terminates  in  a  promi- 
nent beak;  fruit  i-  five-angled  with  angle  ridges  prominent,  skin,  bright 
yellow,  of  medium  thickness,  and  separates  easily  from  the  flesh.  Flesh,  white 
or  light  cream  colored,  core,  indistinct.     Flavor,  pleasing,  subacid   (pi.  9,  A). 

BED 

The  lied  banana    (No.  4492)    is  not  uncommon    throughout    the 

Hawaiian  Island-.  Higgins  (IS  ]>.  1~>)  states  that  it  was  introduced 
with  the  Lanro  variety  from  Mexico.     It  was  also  introduced  into 


28  BULLETIN    55,    HAWAII   EXPERIMENT   STATION 

Hawaii  by  the  station  from  the  Porto  Rico  Experiment  Station  in 
December,  1904,  under  the  name  "  Colorado."  The  names  "  Red 
Spanish  "  and  "  Red  Cuban  "  are  applied  to  the  variety  in  other 
parts  of  the  West  Indies  and  sometimes  in  Hawaii.  "  Red  "  is  the 
term  generally  used  commercially,  and  is,  perhaps,  the  most  ap- 
plicable. The  variety  is  said  to  be  of  Indian  origin,  and  is  botani- 
cally  known  as  Musa  sapientum  var.  rubra.  It  is  distinct  in  its 
vegetative  characters,  is  large,  and  not  so  exacting  in  its  requirements 
as  are  most  other  varieties.  It  is  reported  from  tropical  America  as 
being  more  resistant  to  disease  than  are  other  commercial  varieties. 

GREEN  RED 

The  Red  variety  frequently  gives  rise  to  bud  mutation  producing 
fruit  which  is  more  green  than  red  in  color  until  maturity  when  the 
green  portion  turns  yellow,  hence  the  name  "  Green  Red."  In  varia- 
tion, the  Green  Red  variety  is  different  from  the  Colorado  Blanco 
variety.  Trunks  and  fruit  stems  are  striped  in  some  instances  and 
are  green  on  one  side  and  red  on  the  other  in  others,  and  many  of 
the  bananas  are  green  on  one  side  and  red  on  the  other.  Such  ba- 
nanas from  tropical  America  are  said  to  be  sold  under  different  trade 
names. 

Plants. — Large  and  strong,  24  to  28  feet  tall;  trunks,  14  to  18  inches  in 
basal  diameter ;  sheaths,  petioles,  and  midribs  of  leaves,  red ;  leaf  blades,  12 
to  14  feet  long,  24  inches  wide,  tapering  toward  apex,  dark  green. 

Flowers. — Staminate  flower,  7.8  centimeters  long,  whitish  with  wash 
of  red  over  upper  part  of  ovary  and  lower  part  of  perianth ;  lobes,  red  with 
yellow  edges  and  tip ;  petal,  large,  creamy  white,  several  folds  at  the  top, 
apicula  prominent,  curved;  stamens,  longer  than  perianth,  anthers,  white 
turning  brown  ;  stigma,  brownish,  flattened,  5-lobed. 

Fruit. — Bunches,  medium,  weighing  30  to  50  pounds,  4  to  7  hands ;  individual 
fruits,  5  to  7  inches  long,  2  to  21/,  inches  in  diameter,  stout,  curved  then  nearly 
straight,  angles  disappearing  at  full  ripeness ;  base  tapering  abruptly  to  short 
pedicel ;  apex  filled ;  color,  dark  purplish  red,  changing  to  yellow  and  red  when 
ripe  ;  skin,  thick ;  pulp,  cream  colored,  firm,  core,  distinct ;  flavor  good. 

HAMAKUA 

Plants  of  the  Hamakua  variety  (No.  4810)  were  received  by  the 
station  in  1922  from  the  Island  of  Hawaii,  and  set  in  the  trial 
grounds  (pi.  7,  B).  The  plants  have  o;rown  and  fruited  and  studies 
have  been  made  of  their  varietal  characters  for  comparison  with 
specimens  of  the  variety  growing  elsewhere  in  the  Territory.  The 
Hamakua  is  known  to  some  growers  as  Bluefields,  but  this  is  un- 
doubtedly a  mistake.  The  varietal  characters  of  the  Hamakua  va- 
riety correspond  very  accurately  with  those  of  the  Congo,  a  com- 
mercial banana  of  the  West  Indies,  which  was  introduced  into 
Hawaii  by  the  station  in  1904  and  later  disappeared  without  record. 
It  is  believed  that  a  number  of  propagating  heads  of  the  Congo  were 
introduced  into  the  island  of  Hawaii  and  in  time  became  known  as 
Hamakua  bananas. 

Plants. — From  10  to  14  feet  tall,  reclining;  trunks,  green,  marked  with  red- 
dish cast  and  darker  patches  on  the  upper  portions  of  the  outer  sheaths ; 
blackish  patches  on  the  basal  portion  of  the  petioles.  Leaves  green,  glaucous 
on  both  surfaces ;  petioles,  greenish  with  narrow  red  margins  extending  as 
brownish  lines  along  edges  of  blade.    Blades  vary  from  5  to  7  feet  long,  greatest 


BANANA    CULTURE    IX    HAWAII  29 

width  22  to  20  inches.  Under  certain  conditions  the  fruiting  stem  of  the 
variety  breaks  within  the  stalk  before  the  fruit  matures. 

Flwoers. — Staminate  flower,  whitish  or  cream  colored.  5  to  6  centimeters 
long;  ovary,  rudimentary,  greenish;  perianth,  whitish,  shading  with  age;  lobes, 
yellow;  petal,  translucent,  apiCUla,  short  and  erect  or  turned  inwardly,  sta- 
mens, 5,  whitish,  considerably  longer  than  perianth;  anthers,  curved  outward. 
margins  become  brownish  with  age;  pistil  shorter  than  stamens,  slim,  small, 
brownish  stigma. 

Fruit. — Mature  bunches  vary  from  50  to  70  pounds  in  Hawaii.  Because  of 
the  arrangement  and  curvature  of  the  bananas  on  the  stem,  the  bunch  has  the 
appearance  of  the  Chinese  variety.  A<  the  bunch  hangs  from  the  plant,  the 
extending  rachis  has  a  distinct  bend  between  the  hunch  and  the  terminal  hud. 
which  often  causes  the  variety  to  he  mistaken  for  the  Bluefields.  Individual 
fruits  vary  from  G  to  8  inches  in  length,  ami  curved,  with  the  apex  well  filled, 
4  or  5  angled,  the  angle  ridges  disappearing  when  the  banana  fully  matures. 
The  skin  is  of  medium  thickness,  yellow  in  color;  pulp,  yellow,  firm,  sweet 
and  of  good  flavor,  comparing  favorably  with  the  fruit  of  the  Chinese  and 
Bluefields  varieties. 

LADY    FINGER 

The  Lady  Finger  variety  (Xo.  4493)  was  introduced  into 
Hawaii  by  the  station  from  the  Porto  Rico  Experiment  Station  in 
r.>('4  under  the  name  of  "  Datyl "  (Xo.  4$).  It  is  now  grown  at  the 
Tantalus  substation  (Xo.  2958),  where  it  withstood  a  prolonged 
drought  in  1923-24  much  better  than  any  other  variety  under  trial, 
producing  large  bunches  of  fruit.  There  were  probably  other  intro- 
ductions of  the  variety  into  the  Hawaiian  Islands.  Evidently  there 
are  several  strains  of  the  Lady  Finger  since  descriptions  from  differ- 
ent countries  vary  considerably.  The  Lady  Finger  is  well  known  in 
most  parts  of  tropical  America,  where  it  is  grown  in  some  places  for 
export  trade.  It  is  a  poor  shipper,  however.  Fawcett  states  that  in 
Guiana  where  the  Panama  disease  caused  losses  ranging  from  25  to  75 
per  cent  of  the  Jamaica  (Bluefields)  variety,  the  Lady  Finger  variety 
was  not  attacked.  The  variety  is  known  in  tropical  America  under 
such  names  as  Datyl,  Fig,  Date,  Dedo  de  Dama,  and  Guineo  Blanco. 
Botanicaily,  it  is  classified  as  Musa  sajnentuvfu. 

Plants. — The  plant  at  maturity  is  about  25  feet  tall;  trunk,  rather  slim,  erect; 
roi  t  system,  heavy,  enabling  the  plant  to  withstand  considerably  strong  winds; 
outer  trunk  sheaths,  dark  with  reddish  brown  streaks  and  patches;  foliage, 
very  dark  green ;  leaf  petioles,  greenish  with  edges  tinged  light  yellow  ;  blade, 
about  7  feet  long.  14  inches  in  uTeatest  width,  dark  green  above,  dull  green 
below:  fruiting  stem,  stout,  dark,  gracefully  curved:  bunch,  slender  and  very 
compact,  considerably  long. 

Flowers. — Staminate  flower,  about  G  centimenters  long,  whitish  with  pinkish 
cast  on  part  of  ovary,  shade  of  rose  on  perianth,  which  terminates  in  five  lobes 
tippi  d  with  bright  orange:  petal,  whitish,  translucent;  apicula,  small  with  a 
flight  projection  of  petal  margin  on  each  side  and  a  fold  at  base;  stamens  with 
Long,  curving  anthers  extending  about  even  with  perianth  lobes:  pistil,  style 
slim,  stigma  lobed,  yellow,  extending  beyond  stamens. 

Fruit. — Bunches  weigh  40  to  65  pounds;  10  to  14  bands,  15  to  20  banana-  to 
hand;  individual  fruit  4  to  5  inches  Long;  pedicel,  throe-fourths  inch,  angling, 
in.  re  blunt  at  apex:  skin.  thin.  Light  yellow;  flesh,  whitish,  firm,  sweet  and 
agreeable  (pi.  9,  B). 

HORABORA 

The  Borabora  or  Fei  banana  (No.  1:757)  is  believed  to  have  been 
introduced  into  Hawaii  early  in  the  nineteenth  century  (/./,  p.  4^4) 
from  the  Society  Islands  where  it  i.s  commonly  known  to  the 
Tahitians  a-  "Fei,"  ami  possible  by  some  a-  "  Borabora,"  the  name 
of  an   island   of  the   Society  group   where   the   variety   may   have 


30  BULLETIN    55,    HAWAII   EXPERIMENT    STATION 

originated.  "  Borobora  "  is  said  to  have  been  translated  into  the 
Hawaiian  language  as  "  polapola,"  and  this  in  turn  corrupted  in 
English  into  "bolabola,"  by  which  term  it  is  sometimes  improperly 
called. 

The  Borabora  banana,  botanically  known  as  Musa  fehi,  is  reported 
as  growing  in  the  forests  of  a  number  of  islands  of  the  tropical 
Pacific.  It  makes  its  best  growth  without  cultivation  in  the  higher 
valleys  where  there  is  an  abundance  of  rain,  but  will  grow  under 
desirable  conditions  at  the  lower  elevations.  Fine  specimens  are 
not  uncommon  in  Hilo  and  other  similar  localities  (pi  10,  A). 

The  variety  often  produces  seeds  at  higher  elevations,  just  as  a 
number  of  other  varieties  of  the  species  do  at  elevations  of  about 
3,000  feet  in  the  Society  Islands.  A  striking  peculiarity  of  the 
variety  is  its  very  large  scape  or  stem,  which  stands  erect,  holding 
the  bunch  of  fruit  upright  instead  of  hanging  over  as  in  most 
varieties.  On  account  of  its  beautiful  form  and  shiny  green  leaves, 
the  plant  is  of  value  as  an  ornamental. 

Plants. — Clumps,  very  large ;  suckers  freely ;  growth,  vigorous,  upright,  often 
reaching  36  feet  tall;  trunks  15  to  20  feet  long;  base,  black,  upper  portions, 
green;  leaves  10  to  15  feet  long;  petioles,  short  and  stout;  blades  often  20  to  30 
inches  wide,  shiny  green  above  and  lighter  green  below.  The  juice  of  the 
trunk  and  petioles  is  violet  colored  and  darkens  upon  exposure. 

Flo  ice  rs. — Arranged    in    compact    panicles,    standing    erect    on    stout    scape. 

Pistillate  flowers  with  long  style  and  uncommon,  divided  stigma.  Nectar 
secretion  about  base  of  style.  Ovary,  dark  green,  4-angled,  hard,  3-celled. 
conspicuous  core;  calyx,  5.5  centimeters  long,  cream  in  color  shading  to  pink, 
tipped  with  four  light  colored  points,  the  outer  two  being  largest ;  corolla 
consisting  of  one  free  petal,  rigid,  translucent  or  creamy  white,  3.3  centimeters 
long,  terminating  in  broad  but  sharp  apicula ;  stamens,  5  or  6.  about  5  cent- 
meters  long,  with  drab  anthers ;  bracts  long,  narrow,  tending  to  be  persistent 
to  near  maturity  of  fruit. 

Staminate  flowers.  7.5  centimeters  long ;  ovary,  1.5  centimeters  lohg,  apple 
green  in  color;  calyx,  split  on  one  side  as  in  species  of  sapientum,  cream  colored 
at  base,  changing  to  pink  along  dorsal  part  toward  the  four  whitish  tips ; 
petal  same  as  in  pistillate  flower ;  stamens.  5  or  G.  each  5  centimeters  long, 
white,  terminating  in  drab  anthers  possessing  abundance  of  white  pollen ; 
pistil,  slim,  long  as  stamens,  cream  colored;  stigma,  small;  bracts,  long,  narrow, 
deciduous,  and  apple  green  in  color. 

Fruit. — The  bunch  sometimes  weighs  50  pounds,  and  remains  erect  to  full 
maturity ;  number  of  hands,  few,  usually  about  six ;  individual  fruits  stand 
obliquely,  are  straight  and  angular,  sessile,  and  pointed  at  apex ;  skin,  thick. 
<  range  to  copper  colored ;  pulp,  greenish  sulphur-yellow,  very  firm,  seedless 
when  grown  at  lower  elevations,  but  with  distinct  core;  rachis  extends  only 
little  beyond  the  pistillate  flowers,  the  bud  is  small,  oblong,  tapering  to  a 
sharp  point  (with  pistil  dried  remaining  persistent,  covered  with  greenish 
bracts  sriped  longitudinally  with  lighter  green).  Bud  and  extended  rachis 
fall  away  before  maturity  of  fruit,  giving  space  to  the  most  terminal  fruits. 
The  fruit  is  of  good  flavor  when  cooked  (pi.  10,  B). 

ICE    CKEAM 

The  station  obtained  its  first  plant  of  the  Ice  Cream  banana  (Xo. 
4480)  on  January  28,  1908,  from  a  local  grower  who  was  unable  to 
give  its  origin.  A  study  of  the  variety  from  other  countries  indi- 
cates that  it  is  the  Cenizo  of  Central  America  and  the  West  Indies 
where  it  is  classified  by  some  authorities  as  an  apple  plantain.  In 
the  Philippines  the  variety  is  described  as  a  true  banana  of  the 
variety  Krie  (C.  A.  Xo.  5396)  (15,  p.  Gl).  Its  source  and  by  whom 
it  was  introduced  into  Hawaii  have  not  been  determined  by  the 
writer. 


Bui.  55,   Hawaii  Agr.  Expt.  Station 


Plate  10 


K= 


Bui.  55,  Hawaii  Agr.  Expt.  Station 


PLATE    11 


BANANA   CULTURE    IN    HAWAII  31 

Plants. — Clumps,  Large,  with  many  smooth,  stout,  light  green,  somewhat 
leaning  trunk-.  10  to  i-~>  feet  high;  leaves  8  to  12  feel  long;  petioles,  2  to  3  feet 
Long,  cylindrical;  margins  with  very  fine  brown  lines  which  extend  into  blade 
margins;  blade,  broad,  with  round*  d  ends,  base  somewhat  cordate,  shiny  green 
above,  lighter  green  below,  midrib  with  east  of  pink. 

Flowers. — Pistillate  llower.  8.5  centimeters  long;  ovary,  6  centimeters  long, 
club  Shaped,  curved,  sharply  5-angled,  extended  on  a  stout  pedicel  3  centimeters 
long;  perianth.  3.7  centimeters  ham.  outside  rose  red  with  lighter  margins  and 
3  lobes  of  same  color,  inner  surface  deep  red.  Free  petal.  2.5  centimeters  long, 
light  at  base,  shaded  to  rose  pink,  sides  depressed,  dished  and  with  delicate 
apicula.  Stamens.  5,  rudimentary:  no  anthers;  style,  stout,  pinkish,  stigma 
globular,  brownish  with  lobes  indistinct. 

Staminate  flower.  5.5  centimeters  long:  ovary,  1.7  centimeters,  pinkish  at 
base,  lighter  at  extreme;  perianth.  3.8  centimeters  long,  deep  rose  color,  redder 
inside.  3  to  5  lobes:  corolla,  1  to  3  petals,  light  at  base,  rose  pink,  dished  with 
side  depression  forming  keel;  broad  apicula  with  yellow  margins;  stamens, 
yellowish.  8.7  centimeters  long,  and  with  narrow,  brownish  curved  anthers. 
Pistil,  rudimentary,  as  long  or  longer  than  stamens.  The  heart  is  short  and 
thick  :  bracts,  purplish  with  heavy  glaucous,  deep  red  inside,  rolling  before 
shedding.     The  rachis  extends  to  several  feet  in  length. 

Fruits-. — From  5  to  7  inches  long,  1:!+  to  2%  inches  in  diameter,  4  or  5  angled, 
stout,  straight,  with  sides  slightly  inflated,  apex  tapering  with  calyx  and  style 
deciduous.  Skin,  coarse  and  with  bluish  tinge  when  young,  and  very  glaucous, 
often  bavin?  a  silvery  white  color  ;  pale  yellow  when  ripe.  Flesh,  white,  taste 
sweetish,  core  distinct,  seedless  except  in  rare  cases  ;  7  to  0  hands  to  the  bunch  : 
weight  of  bunch  40  to  60  pounds,  The  fruit  may  be  eaten  raw,  but  is  also 
used  as  a  cooking  banana  (pi.  11,  A). 

ESLESXO 

Amonrr  the  bananas  introduced  into  Hawaii  by  the  station  from 
Porto  Kieo  in  1904  was  an  unlabeled  variety  which  has  since  been 
identified  by  J.  Caban,  of  Honolulu,  formerly  of  the  West  Indies,  as 
the  "  Eslesno  "  (Xo.  4495).  The  variety  was  probably  named  after 
a  territory  of  some  Spanish  possession,  and  is  more  commonly  known 
in  Hawaii  as  the  "  Porto  Rican."  It  is  regarded  as  excellent  when 
eaten  raw.  and  on  account  of  its  small  bunches  is  probably  suited  for 
local-market  culture  only. 

Plants. — Trunk.  10  to  12  feet  tall,  rather  small,  somewhat  leaning  when  in 
fruit :  trunk  sheaths,  reddish  green  with  more  or  less  dark-brown  patches  :  foli- 
age, usually  of  7  or  8  leaves,  8  to  10  feet  long,  16  to  18  inches  wide  at  full  ma- 
turity: petiole,  almost  cylindrical,  with  red  margins  extending  into  reddish- 
brown  leaf  margins;  blade,  rich,  dull  green  above,  lighter  green  below:  clumps 
sucker  freely;  sword  suckers  expand  broad  leaves  after  reaching  3  feet  tall: 
leaf  margins  on  peepers  and  sword  suckers  rather  red  :  other  young  growth 
glaucous. 

Flowers. — Pistillate  flower,  12  centimeters  long:  ovary.  7.5  centimeters  Ion?, 
3-angled,  occasionally  4:  style  and  stigma,  3.8  centimeters  long,  stigma  6-lobed; 
perianth,  3.5  centimeters,  somewhat  shorter  than  style,  whitish  in  color,  ridged 
longitudinally  and  lightly  washed  with  red,  margins  light  and  5  terminal  lobes 
tipped  with  orange;  two  outside  and  middle  lobes  about  7  millimeters  long,  two 
intermediate  narrow  and  shorter;  inner  surface  of  perianth  beautifully  streaked 
with  dark  red. 

Ovary  of  neutral  flower,  3.7  centimeters  long:  other  floral  parts  rather  rudi- 
mentary. 

Staminate  flower.  7.5  centimeters  Ion?:  ovary.  2.5  centimeters  long: 
perianth,  about  5  centimeters,  light,  shaded  with  red;  5  lobes,  orange  tipped; 
corolla,  consisting  of  one  free  petal,  translucent  or  whitish,  dished;  no  apicula; 
stamens,  5.5  centimeters;  anther,  curved,  dark  brown:  pistil.  5  centimeters, 
white,  tinged  with  pink  and  cream  or  yellow  stigma  :  rachis  extending,  dropping 
staminate  flowers  and  bracts  from  long  pointed  terminal  buds:  bracts  roll 
before  dropping,  dark  purple  color  grayed  with  glaucous;  inner  surface,  rich 
dark  red.  roughened  with  numerous  transverse  Indentations. 


32  BULLETIN    55?    HAWAII    EXPERIMENT    STATION 

Fruit. — Bunches  small,  weighing  25  to  35  pounds,  5  to  7  bands  with  10  to  12 
fruits  to  hand  ;  individual  fruits,  sessile,  or  with  very  short  pedicel,  about  5 
inches  long,  iy2  inches  in  diameter,  cylindrical,  with  angles  almost  disappearing 
with  full  maturity,  plump  and  with  a  prominent  beak  at  apex  :  all  floral  parts 
usually  shed  as  fruit  develops ;  skin,  rich,  bright  yellow,  medium  thickness, 
peels  easily  ;  pulp,  light  yellow,  firm  ;  indistinct  core ;  flavor,  subacid  and  very 
pleasing. 

APPLE 

The  Apple  banana  (No.  4505)  was  introduced  into  Hawaii  about 
1868  from  China  (13,  p.  45),  where  it  is  known  as  "  Go-Sai-heong," 
meaning  "  the  fragrance  that  goes  over  the  mountain."  It  was 
also  introduced  in  1904  from  Porto  Rico  by  the  station  under  the 
Spanish  name  "  Manzano."  The  fruits  of  both  have  been  identified 
by  West  Indians  in  Hawaii  as  belonging  to  the  same  variety.  Plants 
and  fruit  vary  greatly  in  size,  owing,  apparently,  to  cultural  con- 
ditions. The  variety  when  properly  grown  and  handled  produces 
excellent  fruit. 

Plants.- — Clumps,  large,  suckering  freely;  trunks,  reclining,  10  to  12  feet 
tall,  basal  diameter  often  12  to  14  inches,  green  with  parts  of  old  sheaths 
grayish,  sometimes  with  brownish  patches  on  sheaths  near  base  of  petioles : 
leaves,  8  to  12  feet  long,  16  to  18  inches  wide ;  petioles,  cylindrical,  margins 
with  purplish  tinge  extending  to  edges  of  blade,  one  side  of  which  is  attached 
several  inches  lower  than  the  other  on  the  petiole;  blade,  green  above,  lighter 
green  below,  glaucous. 

Flowers. — Pistillate  flower,  ovary  9  centimeters  long.  3  or  4  angled,  light 
green,  often  with  slight  cast  of  brown  toward  apex ;  calyx,  grayish,  with  two 
heavy  brown  longitudinal  ridges,  end  terminating  in  5  lobes,  brownish  with 
white  margins,  the  middle  and  two  outer  large,  two  secondary  small  and 
narrow.  The  two  outer  lobes  each  possess  a  threadlike  lash.  5  millimeters 
long ;  corolla,  one  pink,  irridescent  petal,  somewhat  ridged  and  more  or  less 
collapsed,  3-dimpled  below  prominent  apicula  ;  stamens,  5,  rudimentary,  drab, 
without  anthers;  style,  stout,  stigma,  large,  6  lobes. 

Staminate  flower,  8  centimeters  long,  curved;  ovary,  clubbed,  » white  to 
greenish  cast.  Calyx,  5.5  centimeters  long,  ridged,  drab  to  brown,  pink  inside. 
5-lobed  with  whitish  margins ;  stamens,  5,  clubbed,  drab,  rudimentary,  anthers 
curved  and  brown ;  pistil,  slim,  longer  than  stamens,  drab  to  lighter. 

Fruit. — Bunches  weigh  25  to  45  pounds,  depending  upon  method  of  culture 
used  :  hands,  6  to  12.  with  16  to  18  fruits  to  hand ;  average  banana.  4  to  6 
inches  long,  greater  diameter,  1%  inches;  tapering  toward  both  ends,  3  to 
4  angled,  slightly  curved.  Mature  fruit  usually  retains  style  and  stigma 
dried.  Angle  ridges  disappear  on  full  ripening.  Color,  rich,  clear  yellow. 
Flesh,  cream  colored,  firm,  rather  dry ;  core,  indistinct,  flavor  good,  subacid, 
astringent  if  eaten  before  fully  ripened.  Fruit  has  a  distinct  applelike  odor 
(pi.  11,  B). 

CHAMALUCO 

The  Chamaluco  (No.  4490)  was  introduced  into  Hawaii  from  the 
Porto  Eico  Experiment  Station  on  February  5,  1904,  under  accession 
No.  16.  The  name  "  Chamaluco  "  is  of  West  Indian  origin.  The 
variety  was  reported  to  be  resistant  to  disease  and  to  produce  fruit 
of  poor  quality,  facts  which  have  been  borne  out  during  its  21  years 
in  Hawaii. 

PI mrts. — Clumps,  very  large.  13  trunks,  10  sword  suckers,  9  peepers,  and 
3  bunches  in  development  at  4  years.  Mature  trunks,  10  to  14  feet  tall,  leaning 
outward  from  clump,  basal  diameter  7  to  12  inches;  bright  apple  green  in 
color,  with  patches  of  grayish  brown  on  extremities  of  outer  sheaths  ;  young 
stalks,  petioles,  and  under  surface  of  leaves,  glaucous.  Foliage,  rich,  shiny, 
medium  to  dark  green ;  petioles,  stout,  rolled,  forming  hollow  cylinder  21/£> 
feet  long;  blade.  5  feet  long  by  14  to  22  inches  wide,  margins  with  fine  brown- 
ish lines  extending  into  petiole  edges. 


BANANA   CUI/TUBE    IX    HAWAII  33 

Flowers. — Pistillate  flower,  7.5  to  1<»  centimeters  long;  ovary,  4  to  .">  angled, 
rich  dark  red;  perianth,  pink  outside,  red  inside:  surface  lined  with  Longitu- 
dinal ridges,  terminating  in  5  bright  yellow  lobes,  2  outside  Long  and  narrow, 

middle,  short  and  broad.  2  intermediate,  very  small:  petal,  bladdery,  firm, 
margins  and  yellowish  apicula  turned  inward.  Usually,  only  three  stamens, 
rudimentary:    style,   stout,   stigma,   globular  and   cream  to  brown   in   color. 

Staminate  flower,  T..">  centimeters  long;  ovary,  red;  perianth,  pink  outside, 
red  within,  extreme  portion  much  retlexed.  Lobes  yellow  and  varying  in  size 
and  shape  as  in  the  pistillate  flower.  Petal  bladdery,  long,  firm,  deep  rose 
pink,  margins  above  flaring  outward,  one  or  two  folds  at  top;  apicula.  Light 
or  yellowish,  curved  outward:  stamens.  5,  as  long  as  apicula:  anthers,  brown- 
ish'and  narrower  than  filaments;  style  of  pistil,  long,  slim,  white;  stigma; 
small,  yellowish  or  brownish;  some  nectar  about  base  of  style. 

Fruit. — Weighs  25  to  60  pounds  a  bunch,  depending  largely  upon  the  kind 
of  culture  given:  10  to  14  fruits  to  hand,  5  to  7  hands  to  bunch:  individual 
fruits  5  to  7  inches  long,  1*4  to  1%  inches  thick.  4  or  5  angled,  tip  somewhat 
beaked:  skin,  thick,  reddish  turning  green  before  maturing,  checked  with 
small  corklike  patches,  dull  yellow  when  ripe;  flesh,  whitish,  seedless:  core. 
inconspicuous:  flavor,  decidedly  applelike  when  fruit  is  cooked. 

FATHER     LEO X ORE 

The  original  of  the  Father  Leonore  (Xo.  4501)  variety  is  un- 
known. The  station  obtained  propagating  material  of  the  variety 
from  the  Moanaltia  Gardens  near  Honolulu  in  1920;  and  the  super- 
intendent stated  that  the  late  S.  M.  Damon,  owner  of  the  gardens, 
received  the  first  plant  about  1890  from  a  Father  Leonore,  whose 
duties  took  him  to  all  parts  of  the  islands.  The  variety  has  been 
known  as  the  Father  Leonore  for  many  years,  and  has  done  well 
up  to  1,000  feet  elevation,  producing  bunches  of  fruit  weighing  60 
pounds.  In  character,  the  fruit  is  more  like  the  Brazilian  and 
Lady  Finger  varieties  than  the  Hawaiian  bananas,  hence  it  must 
have  been  introduced  from  some  other  part  of  the  world. 

Plants. — About  25  feet  high  at  maturity  of  fruit ;  trunk  of  medium  size, 
erect,  well  anchored  against  strong  winds :  trunk  sheaths,  streaked  with 
abundance  of  dark  brown,  causing  the  plant  to  resemble  the  Lady  Finger 
trunks ;  foliage  and  leaf  petioles,  dark  green,  margins  tinged  with  light 
yellow ;  blades  about  6  feet  long,  15  inches  wide,  dark  green  above,  dull 
green  below. 

Flowers. — Staminate  flower,  pale  yellow :  perianth  becomes  slightly  gray 
with  age  as  does  the  perianth  of  the  Brazilian  and  Bluefields  varieties : 
l>erianth  lobes,  light  yellow:  petal,  smooth,  creamy  white;  apicula,  small, 
tinned  inwardly:  stamens.  5,  whitish;  anthers,  narrowing,  much  curved,  and 
darkened  at  margins:  pistils  longer  than  stamens;  style,  slim,  and  stigma, 
small. 

Fruit. — Bunch  weighs  50  to  60  pounds,  long,  appearing  somewhat  like 
that  of  Lady  Finger  variety,  but  more  irregular  and  not  so  compact,  8  to  10 
hands,  18  to  25  fruits  to  hand  :  individual  fruits,  weigh  5  to  8  ounces,  6  to  7 
inches  long,  iy2  to  114  inches  in  diameter,  usually  5-angled,  beaked  apex ; 
>kin,  clear  yellow,  medium  thickness:  like  the  Apple  banana,  the  fruit  con- 
tains considerable  spongy  fiber  on  inner  surface  of  peel  :  pulp,  pale  yellow, 
melting,  moist;  core,  indistinct:  flavor,  subacid,  good  quality;  a  good  com- 
mercial banana  for  local  consumption. 


The  Largo  (Xo.  441)7)  is  native  of  tropical  America,  where  it  is 
considered  \>y  some  as  a  plantain  on  account  of  the  characters  of  the 
fruit.  The  variety  was  introduced  into  Hawaii  from  Mexico  (13, 
p.  45),  and  first  recorded  at  the  -tat ion  in   L9Q8  under  accession  Xo. 


34  BULLETIN    55,    HAWAII   EXPERIMENT    STATION 

1167.    It  is  rather  resistant  to  ac^erse  conditions,  and  responds  with 
large  fruit  to  good  culture. 

Plants. — Clumps,  large ;  suckers,  numerous ;  trunks,  8  to  10  feet  tall,  large 
at  base,  tapering,  reclining,  apple  green  to  lighter  in  color;  outer  sheath 
extremities  marked  with  patches  of  brown ;  leaves,  10  to  12  to  the  crown,  8  feet 
long;  blade,  20  inches  wide,  dark  green  above,  light  green  below,  slightly 
glaucous,  margins  marked  with  brownish  lines ;  inflorescence  shoots  with  unusu- 
ally long,  graceful  curve  of  scape  bearing  beautiful  clusters  of  pink  flowers 
exposed  from  beneath  rich  bright  red  bracts. 

Flotvers. — Pistillate  flower,  large;  ovary,  long,  pediceled,  very  angular; 
perianth,  large,  longitudinally  ridged,  washed  with  pink ;  petal,  large,  bladdery, 
rose  colored ;  apicula,  turned  inward ;  stamens,  5,  rudimentary ;  style,  stout ; 
stigma,  large,  globular. 

Staminate  flowers  continue  to  appear  from  a  long,  somewhat  spindle- 
shaped  heart,  one  cluster  at  a  time  showing  from  under  a  bright  red  bract, 
curling  well  back  and  often  remaining  so  until  the  flowers  fall  from  beneath 
it.  Individual  flower,  about  7  centimeters  long,  rudimentary;  ovary,  2.3 
centimeters,  pinkish  wash  over  light  cream  color ;  perianth,  pink  with  light 
margins,  two  light,  longitudinal  stripes,  inner  surface  red,  terminal  5-lobed, 
reflexed,  all  tipped  with  bright  yellow,  3  large,  2  intermediate,  small  and 
angular;  petal,  3  centimeters  long,  bladdery,  usually  slightly  dimpled  below 
apicula,  rose  pink  to  purple;  apicula,  whitish  and  with  one  or  two  folds; 
stamens,  5,  long  as  perianth ;  anthers,  curving  outward,  some  pale  yellow 
pollen  present ;  pistil,  slim,  widening  into  small  5-lobed  flesh  colored  stigma. 

Fruit. — Bunches,  large,  5  to  9  hands,  9  to  14  large,  angular  fruit  on  each ; 
average  banana,  7  to  9  inches  long,  1%  to  2y2  inches  in  diameter,  conspicu- 
ously 3  to  5  angled,  apex,  prominently  beaked  and  often  retaining  the  dried 
style  of  the  flower,  basal  portion  frequently  extending  into  stout  pedicel  often 
2  inches  long.  Color,  light  yellow  at  full  maturity ;  skin,  thick ;  flesh,  pinkish, 
buttery,  mild  flavor ;  core,  conspicuous ;  seedless.  May  be  eaten  raw,  but 
is  more  commonly  used  as  a  cooking  banana. 

COLORADO    BLANCO 

The  Colorado  Blanco  (No.  4496)  was  introduced  into  Hawaii 
from  the  Porto  Rico  Experiment  Station  on  February  5,  1904,  and 
given  accession  No.  20.  Some  of  the  plants  have  been  distributed 
among  growers,  but  the  variety  has  not  as  yet  become  widely  known 
in  the  Territory. 

Plants. — From  20  to  25  feet  tall ;  trunks,  10  to  15  feet  long,  slightly  reclin- 
ing, 16  inches  in  diameter  at  the  base,  tapering  upward,  greenish  with  streaks 
of  red  and  brown  and  patches  of  darker  brown ;  leaves,  about  10  feet  long ; 
petioles,  about  2  feet,  stout,  greenish,  and  like  the  midrib  of  the  underside 
of  the  leaf,  covered  with  a  wash  of  pale  red ;  blade,  8  feet  long,  greatest  width 
2  feet,  base  cordate  with  sides  attached  almost  evenly  to  the  petiole.  The 
plant  is  much  like  that  of  the  Red  variety  in  nature  of  growth  and  character 
and  quality  of  fruit. 

Flotvers. — Staminate  flower,  7  to  8.5  centimeters  long,  light  color,  greenish 
cast  on  ovary ;  perianth,  cream-white  to  drab  with  age,  long,  straight ;  apex 
lobes  tipped  with  yellow,  petal,  3.3  centimeters  long,  translucent,  usually  several 
depressions ;  ap!cula,  erect  and  with  several  folds  at  base ;  stamens,  5,  whitish ; 
anthers  extending  slightly  beyond  the  lobes  of  the  perianth ;  upper  part  of 
style  and  stigma,  pale  yellow. 

Fruit. — Bunches  vary  from  45  to  60  pounds  in  weight,  depending  upon 
the  culture  given,  rachis  extending  to  considerable  length ;  individual  fruits. 
5  to  7  inches  long,  plump  with  short  pedicel  and  angular  apex,  curved,  then 
nearly  straight,  yellow,  and  angles  disappearing  at  maturity ;  flesh,  cream 
colored,  firm,  and  of  a  distinct  flavor ;  core,  rather  conspicuous.  A  good 
eating  and  shipping  variety. 

ABYSSINIAN 

The  Abyssinian  variety  (Musa  enseta)  was  introduced  into  Hawaii 
through  semitropical  fruit  plant  and  seed  companies  of  California 
and  Florida,  where  the  plant  is  grown  as  an  ornamental.     It  attains 


BANANA   CULTURE    IN    HAWAII  35 

a  height  of  25  to  30  feet,  has  a  huge  trunk,  large  leaves,  and  a  very 
attractive  flower  cluster.  The  species  is  valued  for  its  yield  of 
good  til  km-  in  Abyssinia,  its  native  land,  and  the  flower  shoot  is  re- 
moved from  the  trunk  before  emerging  and  cooked  for  food.  The 
fruit  pulp  is  rilled  with  seeds  and  is  not  edible. 


Abaea  (Mum  textUis)  is  said  to  have  been  brought  to  Hawaii 
from  Manila.  P.  L,  in  18GG,  but  the  species'  seems  to  have  been  well 
distributed  over  the  Hawaiian  group  before  1888  (H,  p.  434).  Al- 
though the  plant  is  valued  for  its  yield  of  fiber  (Manila  hemp),  it 
has  never  been  grown  to  any  extent  for  that  purpose  in  Hawaii. 
Recently  some  fiber  of  excellent  quality  was  prepared  from  abaca 
grown  in  Kona,  Hawaii,  and  occasionally  plants  of  the  species  are 
found  in  various  parts  of  the  islands.  The  abaca  is  closely  related 
to  the  banana  and  is  of  value  as  a  source  of  fertile  pollen  suitable 
for  use  in  crossbreeding.  There  are  supposed  to  be  a  number  of 
varieties  of  the  species,  but  their  botanical  characters  are  not  as 
yet  well  defined.  There  are  at  least  two  kinds  in  Hawaii  indicating 
varietal  differences.  The  first  plants,  grown  at  the  station  soon 
after  its  establishment,  were  listed  as  accession  Xo.  76  on  December 
21,  1903,  under  the  name  of  abaca  or  Manila  hemp.  The  propagat- 
ing  material  was  obtained  from  a  local  grower  and  was  undoubtedly 
stock  from  the  early  introductions.  In  1912  propagating  material 
of  u  Maguindanao,"  Manila  hemp  (Musa  textilis),  the  same  as  the 
abaca,  was  received  at  the  station  from  the  United  States  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture  under  accession  Xo.  30683  (Xo.  2993).  Speci- 
mens growing  at  the  station  (1925)  and  described  herewith  are 
supposedly  from  stock  of  the  earlier  introductions. 

Plants. — Clumps,  large;  with  12  or  more  trunks,  cylindrical  and  of  a  beautiful 
light  green  color,  reaching  25  feet  high;  leaves  narrow,  oblong,  dark  green 
above,  bluish  green  below ;  petioles  and  midribs  glaucous.  Young  growth 
develops  as  splendid  sword  suckers  often  having  a  tinge  of  purple. 

Flowers. — Inflorescence  a  drooping  compact  panicle  consisting  of  6  to  12 
clusters;  the  brads  covering  the  perfect  or  pistillate  flowers  are  long,  narrow, 
and  persistent,  those  protecting  the  sterile  or  staminate  flowers  are  short,  red, 
with  glaucous  outside,  and  deciduous,  dropping  with  the  flower;  the  rachis  is 
large  and  extends  to  considerable  length;  the  terminal  bud  is  large  and  plump. 

Pistillate  flower,  perfect,  consisting  of  short,  thick,  spindle-shaped  ovary,  long 
style,  and  pollen-bearing  stamens;  perianth,  5  to  G  centimeters  long,  shaded  on 
dorsal  portion  with  pink,  split  to  the  base  on  one  side,  terminating  in  5  lobes, 
yellow  at  tips,  the  two  outer  sharp,  middle  blunt,  and  two  intermediate  small 
and  sharp;  corolla  consisting  of  one  free  petal,  translucent  and  bladdery. 

Staminate  flower,  most  parts  similar  to  those  of  pistillate  flower,  except 
pistil  which  is  small  and  Imperfecl  :  .1..")  centimeters  long;  ovary  1.5  centimeters 
long,  stamens.  4  to  4.5  centimeters  long,  white:  anthers.  2.1  centimeters  long, 
pink  to  brownish.  Abundance  of  pollen  which  is  white  in  both  types  of  flowers. 
Some  nectar  around  base  of  style. 

Fruit. — Bunches  compact,  8  to  12  hands,  and  about  14  fruits  to  hand:  indi- 
vidual fruits  somewhat  spindle-shaped,  1  to  5  angled,  2  to  ::  inches  ion-,  greater 
diameter  l1',  to  l  inches;  pedicel,  short  ;  style,  persistent;  fruits  diverge  from 
each  other  and  stand  more  or  less  :it  right  angles  to  the  rachis.  usually  Idled 
with  seeds;  fruit  Inedible  (PL  12.  A  ). 

common  FLANTAIH 

The  common  plantain  (No.  5118),  sometimes  known  as  "Green 
Stem.""  "Monkey  Plantain.'"  and  u  Horse  Plantain."  was  introduced 


36  BULLETIN   55,    HAWAII   EXPERIMENT    STATION 

into  Hawaii  from  tropical  America.  Plants  received  from  the  Porto 
Iiico  Experiment  Station  in  October,  1904,  were  listed  under  acces- 
sion No.  24.  The  variety  is  sometimes  erroneously  called  the  "  Porto 
Eican  banana."  Botanically,  it  is  a  true  plantain  (Musa  para>- 
disiaca).  It  grows  well  in  loose  rocky  soil  where  there  is  abundant 
rainfall  (pi.  12,  B)  and  is  given  culture  very  similar  to  that  given  the 
Maoli  banana.  In  some  localities  the  common  plantain  is  highly 
prized  as  a  food  when  cooked. 

Plants. — Erect,  12  to  18  feet  tall ;  trunk,  stout,  green  with  light  brown  patches, 
sometimes  pinkish  about  base ;  leaves,  about  8  feet  long ;  petioles,  nearly  2 
feet,  stout,  margins  curved  nearly  together  and  slightly  reddish ;  blade,  oblong 
oval  somewhat  tapering  toward  apex;  greatest  width  about  24  inches,  midrib 
often  washed  with  pink ;  underground  stem  suckers  freely  with  good  culture. 

Flowers. — 7  to  10  centimeters  long ;  ovary,  broad  and  flat,  whitish ;  perianth, 
light  with  streaks  of  red,  usually  divided  forming  one  free  sepal ;  lobes, 
prominent,  orange  colored ;  corolla  portion  often  consisting  of  2  or  3  trans- 
lucent petals,  somewhat  flattened ;  stamens,  6,  with  whitish  anthers,  often 
deformed ;  pistil,  broad  at  base  of  style,  grooved  down  ventral  side ;  stigma, 
whitish ;  lobe  flattened. 

Fruit. — Bunches  26  to  38  pounds,  consisting  of  5  to  7  hands,  with  2  to  several 
fingers,  divergent,  each  10  to  14  inches  long,  iy2  to  2  inches  in  diameter, 
angular,  curved,  base  stalked ;  apex,  long  and  pointed ;  skin,  rather  tough, 
smooth  and  yellow  ;  pulp,  pale  salmon ;  core,  inconspicuous. 

DWARF   PLANTAIN 

The  dwarf  plantain  (No.  4491)  was  introduced  into  Hawaii  from 
the  Porto  Rico  Experiment  Station  on  October  31,  1904,  under 
accession  No.  44.  In  parts  of  tropical  America  it  is  known  as 
"  Macho  Enano,"  and  "  Plantano  Enano."  Botanically,  it  is  classi- 
fied as  Musa  paradisiaca.  The  dwarf  plantain  does  not  seem  to  be 
well  adapted  to  Hawaiian  conditions.  It  requires  a  large  amount 
of  moisture,  humidity,  and  good  drainage  and  protection  from  wind. 
It  resembles  the  common  plantain,  but  is  much  smaller. 

Plants. — Dwarf  among  plantains,  6  to  8  feet  tall ;  trunk,  slim,  olive  green, 
with  brownish  patches  at  base  of  petioles ;  clumps,  small ;  leaves,  dark  green ; 
petioles,  short,  with  reddish  lines  along  margins  and  at  base;  blade,  broad 
and  cordate. 

Flowers. — Pistillate  flower,  including  ovary,  7.7  centimeters  long;  perianth, 
whitish,  washed  with  pale  red ;  lobes,  bright  yellow ;  petal,  long,  translucent 
with  yellow  apicula ;  sometimes  two  additional  petals,  free  or  partly  attached 
to  inside  of  perianth ;  ovary,  3  to  4  centimeters  long ;  greenish,  stout,  and  club- 
shaped  ;  stamens,  6,  4  centimeters  long ;  anthers,  whitish ;  style  of  pistil, 
abruptly  swollen  at  base  and  grooved  down  ventral  side;  stigma,  rather  small, 
3-lobed,  pale  yellow.     Sterile  flowers  are  few. 

Fruit. — Bunches  18  to  25  pounds;  fingers,  8  to  12  inches  long  at  maturity, 
3  angled,  1%  to  1%  inches  in  diameter,  light  green  to  yellowish  when  ripe; 
flesh,  salmon  colored  and  core,  noticeable ;  flavor,  subacid ;  3  to  5  hands  to 
bunch,  3  to  5  fruits  to  hand.     Useful  as  plantain  flour  for  delicate  pudding. 

HAWAIIAN   VARIETIES 

MAOLI   GROUP 

Varieties  of  the  Maoli  group  have  unusually  large  plants  requir- 
ing great  quantities  of  moisture  and  considerable  protection  from 
the  wind.  The  bunches  of  fruit  are  large  and  compact;  individual 
fruits  are  long,  well-filled  to  the  ends,  and  covered  with  thick,  heavy 


Bui.  55,  Hawaii  Agr.  Exot.  Station 


Plate  12 


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Bui.  55,  Hawaii  Agr.  Expt.  Station 


PLATE    13 


BAXAXA    CULTURE    IN    HAWAII  37 

skin,  which,  on  ripening,  turns  to  a  rich,  waxy  yellow  color.  The 
pedicel  is  long  and  the  flesh  is  yellow.  The  floral  parts  are  slightly 
tinged  with  pink. 

MA1AMAOI.I 

The  fruit  of  the  Maiamaoli  variety  (No.  47^1)  is  the  most  common 
and  best  cooking  banana  found  on  the  local  market.  The  plants  are 
of  easier  culture  than  most  other  varieties  of  the  Maoli  group,  and 
thrive  best  in  the  porous  rocky  a-a  10  soils  where  the  roots  become 
deeply  anchored.  In  heavy  soils  the  plants  are  more  easily  blown 
down.  The  Hawaiian  name  "  Maiamaoli  "  is  a  combination  of  two 
words.  "Maia,"  meaning  banana,  and  "maole,"  derived  from 
"  maori,"  a  south  Pacific  Polynesian  word  probably  referring  to  the 
origin  of  the  fruit. 

Plants. — Tall  and  erect;  trunk,  10  to  14  feet  tall,  diameter  at  base  about  10 
inches  :  green,  with  faint  tints  of  pink ;  brownish  patches  on  sheaths  near  bases 
of  leaf  stalks. ;  leaves,  about  9  feet  long ;  blades,  nearly  7  feet  long,  greatest 
width  2  feet ;  petiole  margins  curved  well  upward  almost  together,  forming  a 
deep  trough,  edges  tinged  with  narrow  lines  of  pink  extending  into  brown 
marginal  lines  of  the  blade,  the  base  of  which  is  lobed,  one  side  attached  on 
petiole  somewhat  higher  than  the  other  (pi.  13,  A). 

Flowers. — Staminate  flower,  6  centimeters  long;  ovary,  light  .-,reen  with 
reddish  wash;  perianth,  whitish  with  overwash  of  pink,  fading  toward  the 
extreme  end;  lobes,  pale  yellow,  the  middle  and  two  outside  rather  long, 
the  two  secondary  slim  :  the  free  petal,  whitish,  irridescent,  slightly  dimpled 
in  front ;  apicula,  erect  with  several  folds  at  base  :  stamens,  5,  sometimes  6, 
whitish  anthers  with  light  brownish  margins;  pistil,  style,  whitish,  slender; 
stigma,  small,  but  rather  prominently  lobed  ;  light  buff  in  color.  No  pollen 
evident. 

Fruit. — Borne  on  strong  stems  of  rather  short  curve;  bunches  weigh  60  to 
90  pounds,  and  are  well  packed  :  7  to  9  hands,  with  10  to  12  bananas  to  larger 
hands :  individual  fruits  often  weigh  10  to  14  ounces,  long,  round,  and  well- 
filled  at  both  ends :  pedicel,  1  to  2  inches  long,  the  angle-ridges  becoming 
insignificant  at  full  maturity ;  skin,  thick,  tough,  and  bright,  waxy  yellow  at 
full  ripeness  ;  pulp,  yellow,  firm :  core,  distinct ;  flavor,  good.  The  fruit  is 
excellent  when  served  as  a  cooked  vegetable,  and  may  be  eaten  raw. 

HAI 

The  Hai  variety  ^Xo.  4760)  forms  the  largest  plants  of  any  of  the 
native  bananas,  and  usually  produces  the  largest  bunches  with  very 
large  individual  fruits  (pi.  6,  B).  It  is  not  so  hardy  as  are  some 
other  varieties,  blows  down  easily,  and  when  neglected  often  fails 
to  produce  vigorous  suckers,  resulting  in  the  death  of  the  clumps. 
The  term  **  Hai  "  is  said  to  be  a  contraction  of  "  Mohai."  meaning 
sacrifice. 

IIAIKEA 

Belonging  to  the  Hai  variety,  or  closely  related  to  it  as  a  strain 
or  subvariety,  is  the  Haikea,  which  possesses  many  of  the  varietal 
characters  of  the  latter,  but  is  not  so  tall  and  all  its  parts  have  a 
whitish  bloom.  The  flower  and  mature  fruit  have  no  identifying 
varietal  characters.  The  suffix  "  kea  "  has  reference  to  the  whitish 
cast  of  the  green  parts  of  the  plant. 

Piants. — The  Hai  banana  plant  at  maturity  often  reaches  15  to  24  feet  high  ; 
diameter  of  base  of  trunk.  12  t<»  17  inches;  trunk  sheaths,  green  with  consider- 

*>  Clinker  form  of  laval  flow. 


38  BULLETIN    55,    HAWAII   EXPEEIMENT    STATION 

able  reddish  cast  about  the  base,  becoming  browner  higher  up  toward  base  of 
petioles ;  leaves,  8  to  12  feet  long,  2  feet  broad ;  petioles,  3  feet  long,  green,  or 
sometimes  with  reddish  wash  extending  along  midrib  of  underside  of  leaf; 
petiole,  margins  purplish,  and  curved  upward,  forming  deep  gutter. 

Flowers. — Staminate  flower,  ovary  short  and  clubbed,  apple  green,  with  red- 
dish lower  end ;  perianth,  light,  streaked  with  red,  becoming  lighter  toward  the 
5  tips,  which  are  long  and  bright  yellow ;  petal,  iridescent,  margins  irregular ; 
apicuia,  prominent,  with  one  or  two  folds  at  base;  stamens,  longer  than 
perianth,  with  anthers  turned  outward ;  margin  dark,  where  split  to  expose 
pollen-bearing  surfaces ;  pistil,  style  slender,  white,  with  small  quantity  of 
watery  nectar  about  base ;  stigma,  small,  irregularly  lobed.  Rachis  extending 
from  bunch  to  considerable  length,  terminating  in  a  rather  long  bud  having  dark 
wine  colored  bracts  with  bright  red  inner  surface. 

Fndt. — Bunches  large,  often  weighing  100  pounds;  6  to  10  hands;  indi- 
vidual fruits,  10  to  16  ounces,  3  to  5  angled,  often  a  little  curved,  filled  at  ends, 
but  not  as  blunt  as  Maiamaoli  fruit ;  pedicel,  1  to  2  inches  long ;  skin,  thick, 
tough,  bright  waxy  yellow  at  full  maturity ;  flesh,  firm,  yellow ;  core,  distinct ; 
flavor,  subacid  to  sweet.  The  fruit  is  used  as  a  vegetable  when  cooked.  The 
well-ripened  fruit  has  a  pleasing  flavor,  and  may  be  eaten  raw. 

MANAIULA,    MANAI  ULA,    OR    MALAI   ULA 

The  Manaiula  (No.  4762)  is  an  excellent  Maoli  banana.  The  word 
"  Manai  "  has  reference  to  the  hard,  sharp-ended  fiber  taken  from  the 
midrib  of  the  leaf  and  used  for  stringing  leis  (wreaths);  "ula," 
meaning  "  red,"  relates  to  the  slim  red  ovaries  of  the  pistillate  flowers. 
This  color  character  of  the  ovaries  is  found  in  several  varieties  from 
other  parts  of  the  tropical  world,  and  is  one  of  the  main  characters 
of  the  Hawaiian  variety.  The  clumps  require  renewing  about  every 
third  year  to  maintain  production  of  large  bunches. 

Plants. — Eighteen  to  twenty  feet  tall ;  crown  of  foliage,  large  and  vigorous ; 
trunk,  10  to  15  feet  long,  10  to  15  inches  in  diameter  at  base,  tapering  upward ; 
color,  light  green  to  flesh  color  with  tinges  of  red ;  leaves,  8  to  10  feet  long,  20 
to  26  inches  at  greatest  width ;  petioles,  stout,  flesh-colored ;  margins,  red, 
curved  upward  and  inward  forming  almost  a  closed  gutter;  blade,  Ught  green 
above,  pinkish  cast  below  with  midrib  on  underside  of  leaf  washed  with  pink ; 
young  growth,  including  suckers,  reddish. 

Flowers. — Inflorescence,  a  compact,  drooping  panicle,  bracts,  reddish-brown, 
glaucous  outside,  deciduous. 

Pistillate  flower,  9  centimeters  long ;  ovary,  curved,  dull  reddish  brown : 
perianth,  short,  recurved,  dark  red  with  pinkish  stripes ;  corolla,  one  free  petal 
margin  incurved,  dished,  delicate  red ;  stamens,  rudimentary ;  style,  3.4  centi- 
meters long;  stigma,  distinctly  lobed,  cream  colored. 

Staminate  flower,  6.6  centimeters  long ;  perianth,  streaked  with  red ;  corolla, 
one  free  petal  light  red,  bladdery ;  stamens,  4.6  centimeters  long ;  anthers, 
prominent;  style,  pale  reddish,  undeveloped;  stigma  small,  deciduous  with 
bracts  from  short  rachis  ;  terminal  bud  plump. 

Fruit — Dark  reddish-brown  when  young,  changing  to  green  during  the  first 
few  weeks  after  the  flowering  period ;  yellow  at  full  maturity ;  bunches,  about 
8  hands,  weighing  50  to  75  pounds ;  individual  mature  fruits,  4  to  5  angled,  6  to 
8  inches  long,  slightly  curved,  2  to  2%  inches  in  diameter  ;  blunt  at  apex  : 
pedicel,  1  to  2  inches  long,  stout ;  sk'n,  thick,  tough,  waxy  yellow  when  ripe : 
pulp,  coarse,  firm,  seedless,  orange  colored ;  core,  distinct.  An  excellent 
Hawaiian  cooking  banana. 

KAUALAU 

The  Kaualau  variety  (No.  4758)  is  of  easy  culture  and  excellent 
quality.  It  is  most  natural  on  the  island  of  Hawaii,  but  may  be 
found  growing  in  many  other  parts  of  the  Territory,  adapting  itself 
to  lower  elevations  and  withstanding  strong  winds.  The  term  "  Kau^ 
alau  "  means  "  rain  on  the  leaf." 


BA»  \NA    CUI/TUHE    IN     HAWAII  39 

Plants. — Average  height  at  maturity,  about  it;  feel  ;  upright  with  dark  green 
foliage.  The  variety  is  generally  identified  by  its  large  bunches  of  smooth, 
plump  fruit  varying  in  size  according  to  the  culture  given;  trunk,  8  to  10 
feet  tall,  somewhat' tapering,  green  with  patches  of  brown  on  outer  sheaths; 
leaves,  8  to  10  feet  long;  petioles,  1%  to  2  feet  stout,  green,  margins  curved 
inward  and  slightly  tinged  with  pink:  blade,  oblong,  oval,  with  greatest  width 
about  24  inches;  surfaces,  rich  dark  green;  petioles  and  midribs  of  younger 
plants,  usually  washed  with  cast  of  pink. 

Flowers. — Staminate  flowers  extend  from  rachis  of  bunch  of  fruit  nearing 
maturity.  (5  centimeters  long;  ovary,  clubbed,  light  green  with  cast  of  pink  in 
spots;  perianth,  light  colored  with  streaks  of  pink  diminishing  toward  the 
tips,  two  longitudinal  pink  stripes  inside,  five  rather  long  orange  tips.  3  promi- 
nent, 2  intermediate,  narrow:  petal,  flaring  upward  from  base,  iridescent  to 
rose-colored  above,  margin  rolled  inward:  apicula,  small  ami  turned  inward: 
stamens,  considerably  longer  than  perianth;  anther  margins  light  brown. 
darkening  with  age;  pistil,  slim,  about  as  long  as  perianth:  style  white;  stigma 
small,  clubbed,  yellow. 

Fruit. — Bunches,  large,  weighing  60  to  125  pounds,  flaring  at  base.  7  to  10 
hands.  9  to  17  lingers;  individual  fruits.  8  to  14  ounces,  6  to  8  inches  long, 
straight,  plump,  angles  almost  disappearing,  base  stalked,  apex  blunt,  color, 
rich,  waxy  yellow;  skin,  medium  thickness  and  toughness:  flesh,  light  yellow, 
fine  texture:  core,  indistinct.     A  cooking  banana  of  excellent  quality  (pi.  13,  B). 


The  chief  distinsruishino;  character  of  the  Eleele  variety  (Xo.  4812) 
is  the  color  of  its  trunk  sheaths,  petioles,  and  midribs,  which  are  al- 
most black,  giving  rise  to  its  Hawaiian  name  "Eleele."  The  Eleele 
is  a  favorite  commercial  and  highly  prized  cooking  banana.  The 
black  petioles  and  midribs  furnish  material  used  in  weaving  hats  and 
other  articles.  The  dark  portions  of  the  plant  vary  in  intensity  of 
coloration  somewhat,  which  probably  accounts  for  its  other  names, 
such  as  "  Poni  "  and  "  Hinupuaa,"  which  are  not  truly  varietal  names, 
but  synonyms  of  4*  Eleele/'  In  the  Poni  the  trunk  is  more  purplish 
than  in  the  Eleele  and  the  Hinupuaa  is  not  so  dark.  The  clumps 
continue  to  produce  large  bunches  for  many  years  without 
transplanting. 

Plants. — Usually  20  to  2.~,  feet  tall  ;  trunks.  12  feet  to  arch  of  fruit  stein. 
diameter  of  base,  8  to  in  inches,  slightly  tapering  upward:  outer  leaf  sheaths, 
somewhat  blackened:  leaves,  7  to  9  feet  long,  2  to  21-  feet  wide,  oval-oblong: 
peti  le.  srout.  about  2  feet  long;  base  of  blade,  cordate,  one  side  attached  lower 
"ii  petiole  by  several  inches,  dark  green  above  and  below. 

Flowers. — Staminate  flowers  extend  from  rachis  of  half-developed  fruit 
cluster;  ovary,  greenish,  slightly  washed  with  red  near  small  basal  end: 
perianth,  light  colored,  with  considerable  reddish  wash  at  margins  where  it 
overlaps  the  petal:  5  yellowish  tips.  :\  prominent,  2  secondary,  slender:  petal, 
flaring  from  base  upward,  white  to  iridescent  toward  top;  margins,  turned 
inward,  -mall  quantity  of  nectar  within:  apicula  with  fold  at  base  and  a  deep 
groove  below  extending  downward:  stamens,  a  little  longer  than  pistil:  anther 
margins,  drab,  containing  some  pollen;  pistil,  about  as  long  as  perianth;  style. 
white;  stigma,  lobed,  light  yellow. 

Fruit. — The  young  fruit  has  the  appearance  of  being  badly  smoked,  and 
remains  rather  dark  for  several  weeks  following  the  Bower,  then  gradually 
changes  to  dark  green,  and  finally  to  clear  bright  yellow  at  full  maturity. 
The  bunches  average  ''»"  to  v<>  pounds  in  weight,  7  to  w  hands,  the  fingers  varying 
from  .".  to  5  angled,  7  inches  long,  l1-  Inches  in  diameter,  plump,  and  well-tilled 
t<»  tie-  ends;  pedicel,  l  to  i>_,  inches  long;  apex  with  small  pit.  out  of  which 
the  dried  remains  of  the  style  often  persists;  -kin.  thick  and  tougb  as  with 
other  Maoli  bananas.  Clear  yellow  at  full  maturity:  pulp,  firm,  orange  colored; 
■ore,  distinct,  with  numerous  undeveloped  ovaries.     A  good  cooking  banana. 


40  BULLETIN-  55, 'HAWAII   EXPEBIMENT    STATION 

KOAE   OR   AEAE 

The  Koae  or  Aeae  banana  (No.  5064)  is  considered  one  of  the 
Maoli  group  on  account  of  the  nature  of  its  growth  and  fruit.  The 
variety  thrives  best  in  cool,  moist  woodlands  at  elevations  of  500  to 
2.000  feet.  Both  the  green  foliage  and  fruit  are  beautifully  striped 
with  white,  making  the  plant  one  of  the  most  attractive  of  the  banana 
varieties.  The  Koae  was  known  to  Hawaiians  three  generations  ago. 
Doctor  Hillebrand,  who  completed  his  plant  investigations  in  Hawaii 
previous  to  1870  and  left  the  islands  permanently  the  following  year, 
describes  briefly  (H,  p.  433)  what  seems  to  be  the  Koae.  It  is  the 
only  variegated  variety  growing  in  Hawaii  and  familiar  to  the 
Hawaiians.  Higgins  (13,  p.  50)  suggests  that  it  is  probably  Musa 
sapientum  var.  vittata,  supposed  to  be  indigenous  in  St.  Thomas,  off 
the  west  coast  of  Africa.  However,  Fawcett's  illustrations  and 
description  of  vittata  (11,  pp.  214,  215)  are  not  applicable  to  the 
characters  of  the  Koae  or  Aeae  in  Hawaii.  Possibly  the  Koae  is  a 
bud  mutation  of  some  Maoli  banana  of  the  Pacific  (pi.  14,  A). 

Plants. — Clumps  usually  have  few  large  trunks  10  to  12  feet  tall;  outer 
sheaths,  light  green,  with  slight  evidence  of  pale  green,  white,  or  pinkish  longi- 
tudinal stripes ;  leaves,  9  to  12  feet  long,  20  to  26  inches  broad ;  petioles,  green, 
striped  longitudinally  with  white ;  margins,  pink  to  red ;  blades,  bright  green 
with  20  to  40  per  cent  of  the  surface  irregularly  blotched  with  white. 

Flowers. — Pistillate  flower,  10.5  centimeters  long;  ovary,  7  centimeters  long, 
very  angular,  with  white  longitudinal  stripes ;  perianth,  3.5  centimeters  long, 
creamy  white  with  pinkish  to  almost  chocolate  colored  streaks ;  extremity, 
5-lobed  with  tips  of  lighter  color ;  corolla,  one  free  petal  delicately  tinged  with 
pink ;  stamens,  rudimentary ;  style,  stout ;  stigma,  distinctly  lobed ;  both  usually 
persistent  to  maturity  of  fruit. 

Staminate  flower,  6.5  centimeters  long,  rudimentary  ovary,  1.7  centimeters 
long,  pinkish  at  base ;  perianth  like  that  of  pistillate  flower ;  corolla  consists  of 
one  cream-white  free  petal  with  distinct  apicula  ;  undeveloped  pistil  shorter  than 
stamens,  which  are  4.6  centimeters  long;  anther,  2  centimeters.  All  bracts  are 
deciduous,  reddish  brown  in  color  outside  with  glaucous.  Neutral  flowers  some- 
times persistent ,  staminate  flowers  with  bracts  from  rachis  in  regular  order  as 
the  rachis  lengthens.     Terminal  bud,  small. 

Fruit. — Oblong,  straight  or  slightly  curved,  6  to  7  inches  long,  iy2  to  1% 
inches  in  diameter ;  3  to  4  angled,  almost  cylindrical  at  maturity,  blunt,  rounded 
apex,  pedicel  stout,  1%  to  1%  inches  long;  style  and  calyx  usually  deciduous; 
skin,  thick,  striped  longitudinally  with  white  which  almost  disappears  on  yel- 
lowing with  ripeness ;  pulp,  coarse,  firm,  yellow,  and  lacking  in  flavor ;  core, 
distinct,  but  seedless.  A  fair  cooking  banana  which  is  rarely  eaten  raw  (pi. 
14,  B). 

MA  HOE    OR    PALUA 

The  Mahoe  or  Palua  variety  (No.  4763)  is  a  favorite  in  some  parts 
of  Hawaii  on  account  of  the  delicious  flavor  of  its  fruit.  Like  most 
of  the  native  bananas,  it  grows  best  in  moist  localities,  taking  a  beau- 
tiful upright  form.  Probably  the  most  striking  peculiarity  of  the 
variety  is  the  tendency  of  its  flowering  stem  to  branch,  which  usually 
takes  place  in  the  cluster,  giving  a  distinct  divided  bunch  (pi.  2,  A). 

The  name  "  Mahoe  "  means  "  twin  "  in  Hawaiian.  Sometimes  the 
branching  takes  place  in  the  stem  just  below  the  cluster,  giving  two 
distinct  bunches,  in  which  case  the  variety  is  called  "  Palua."  The 
difference  in  the  two  forms,  however,  is  not  sufficiently  fixed  to  be 
considered  truly  varietal.  In  the  first  attempt  to  grow  the  variety  at 
the  station  (1923-24)  the  plant  produced  a  single  bunch  without 
indication  of  division  of  stem.     The  double  bunch  is  unsatisfactory 


Bui.  55,  Hawaii  Agr.  Expt.  Station 


Plate  14 


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BANANA   CULTURE    TN    HAWAII  41 

since  it  produces  small  fruits  and  does  not  ripen  evenly.  One  plant 
of  the  variety,  found  in  the  Hilo  district,  had  its  fruiting  stem 
divided  in  an  attempt  to  produce  six  separate  bunches  of  fruit. 

Plants.— Erect,  10  to  20  feet  tall;  trunk,  8  to  10  feet  long,  basal  diameter.  10 
inches;  color,  green  tinged  with  pink  and  splotched  with  brown;  leaves,  about 
7  feet  long,  greatest  width  24  inches,  green  above,  lighter  green  below;  petioles, 
stout.  2y2  feet  long,  deeply  grooved  and  margins  reddish.  The  clump  suckers 
freely  and  has  a  handsome  ornamental  appearance. 

Flowers. — Pistillate  flower.  11.5  centimeters  long;  ovary,  sharply  3  to  5 
angled,  blunt  at  poin*  of  style  attachment,  pediceled  at  base,  light  apple  green 
color:  style,  including  stigma,  3.8  centimeters  long;  perianth,  whitish,  washed 
with  pale  red,  4  centimeters  long,  5-pointed,  each  tipped  with  orange,  the  two 
extreme.  0  millimeters  long,  the  central,  broad  and  shorter,  and  the  two  inter- 
mediate, small  and  more  erect ;  petal,  iridescent,  keel  deeply  depressed  below 
apicula,  edges  rolled  inward ;  apicula.  turned  inward ;  stamens,  5,  three  short 
and  two  longer,  extending  beyond  the  stigma ;  anthers,  imperfect ;  style,  slim, 
whitish ;  stigma,  yellowish  to  brownish,  5-lobed. 

Staminate  flower,  0.7  centimeters  long;  ovary  portion,  1.0  centimeters  long; 
perianth,  5  centimeters  long,  whitish,  washed  with  light  red,  apex  tipped  as 
with  the  pistillate  form ;  petal,  small,  bladdery,  iridescent,  dimpled  below 
apicula,  the  latter  pointed,  erect ;  stamens,  5,  shorter  than  perianth ;  and  pistil, 
long ;  anthers,  long ;  pistil,  slim,  whitish  yellowed  at  the  flattened  G-lobed 
stigma. 

Fruit. — Bunch  of  9  or  more  hands,  the  larger  12  to  18  fruits,  the  smaller. 
9  to  12;  individual  fruits,  3  to  5  angled,  4  to  5  inches  long,  1  to  IVj  inches  in 
diameter,  weight  3  to  5  ounces ;  skin,  medium,  bright  yellow,  easily  removed : 
pulp,  firm,  light  salmon  yellow ;  core,  indistinct ;  seedless ;  flavor,  mild,  subacid 
to  sweet. 

PUHI 

The  Puhi  variety  (No.  35)  grows  best  in  the  moist  woodlands  at 
2,000  to  3,000  feet  elevation.  The  Hawaiian  name  "  Puhi  "  is  inter- 
preted as  meaning  "  eellike,"  the  fruit  presenting  a  rather  twisted 
appearance  during  a  period  of  early  development.  The  variety  was 
studied  growing  wild  in  the  woods  on  the  ranch  of  Albert  Hu,  of 
South  Kona,  Hawaii.  No  flowers  were  obtainable  at  the  time  the 
study  was  made. 

Plants. — 15  to  20  feet  tall;  some  of  the  larger  with  trunks  8  to  10  feet  tall; 
upright,  green ;  large,  upright  leaves,  8  feet  long ;  petioles,  green ;  blades,  wide 
at  base,  tapering  to  apex. 

Fruit. — Bunches,  small  to  medium;  arched  stem,  long  and  slim.  At  maturity 
the  fruits  fill  out  and  become  bright  yellow  in  color,  with  possibly  more 
prominent  angle  ridges  and  pointed  apex.  The  skin  is  thick ;  pulp,  firm,  yellow ; 
core,  distinct.    A  fair  cooking  banana. 


The  Eka  variety  is  very  similar  to  several  other  varieties  of  the 
Maoli  group.  Its  leading  character  of  identification  is  the  color  of 
its  fruit,  which  has  a  reddish  cast  at  or  immediately  after  flowering 
time.  The  color  is  said  to  have  given  rise  to  the  Hawaiian  name 
"  Eka.''  and  is  soon  replaced  by  a  rich  dark  green  which  prevails 
until  the  fruit  begins  to  ripen.  At  full  maturity  the  fruit  becomes  a 
clear,  waxy  yellow.  The  flowers  are  white,  but  are  considerably 
washed  with  red.  which  rapidly  darkens  within  a  few  hours  after 
they  are  released  from  under  the  bract.  The  plant  more  closely 
resembles  Manaiula  than  does  any  other  variety  of  the  Maoli  group. 

Plants. — Erect.  10  to  20  feet  tall ;  trunks,  light  green  with  tinges  of  red ; 
leaves,  about  7  feet  long,  24  inches  greatest  width;  petiole  and  midrib  on  under 
side  of  leaf  washed  with  pale  red. 


42  BULLETIN    55,    HAWAII   EXPERIMENT    STATION 

Flowers. — Staminate  flower,  7.5  centimeters  long,  whitish  washed  with  pale 
red ;  perianth,  red  near  base ;  lobes,  pale  yellow ;  petal,  cupped  and  with  irregu- 
lar margins,  erect  or  curving  outward  ;  stamens,  5,  longer  than  perianth,  slightly 
curved ;  style,  slim ;  stigma,  small  and  whitish. 

Fruit. — Bunches  of  medium  size,  weighing  40  to  50  pounds ;  individual  fruits, 
curved,  angular,  and  often  retaining  dead  style  of  pistil  at  apex.  The  fruit  can 
not  be  distinguished  from  the  Manaiula  variety  when  sold  on  the  retail  market. 
Skin,  thick,  tough ;  pulp,  firm ;  core,  distinct.     The  fruit  is  used  mainly  cooked. 


The  Iho-u  is  seldom  found  in  cultivation.  It  grows  wild  in  the 
Kona  woods,  and  is  said  by  Francis  Gay  to  be  commonly  found  in 
the  mountain  forests  of  Kauai,  where  it  is  generally  known  as  a 
Maoli  banana.  The  plants  are  slender  and  produce  small  bunches  of 
fruit  in  comparison  with  other  varieties.  Hawaii ans  call  the  variety 
"  Iho-u,"  meaning  "  snubbed  nose,"  on  account  of  the  peculiar  form 
of  the  individual  fruits. 

Plants. — Erect,  small  or  of  medium  height ;  trunk  tapers  from  base  to  crown, 
about  8  feet  tall ;  sheaths,  green,  splotched  with  dark  brown  patches  at  the 
base  of  petioles,  very  much  like  the  Brazilian  variety ;  leaves,  stand  well  erect, 
6  to  8  feet  long,  of  which  the  petiole  is  about  2  feet  long ;  blade,  oblong-oval, 
green  with  lighter  green  midrib,  both  sides  of  base  attached  evenly  to  petiole. 

Flowers. — Staminate  flower,  7  centimeters  long,  whitish  with  slight  streaks 
of  pink  on  ovary  and  perianth  ;  rudimentary  ovary,  short,  clubbed ;  perianth, 
4.6  centimeters  long,  slim ;  apex  lobes,  tipped  with  light  yellow ;  petal,  white  to 
irridescent,  stiff,  cupped  without  depressions  on  outer  surface,  margins  turned 
inward  ;  apicula,  small,  turned  inward  ;  stamens,  longer  than  perianth ;  anthers, 
slim,  whitish ;  pistil,  as  long  as  perianth ;  style,  slender ;  stigma,  small  and 
irregularly  lobed. 

Fruit. — Stem,  slender,  gracefully  curved ;  bunch,  small,  5  to  7  hands,  about  90 
fruits  to  bunch  ;  extending  rachis,  slim,  shedding  terminal  bud  before  fruit  is 
more  than  half  size ;  individual  fruits  are  more  curved  than  most  of  the 
Maoli  bananas,  filled  to  both  sides,  3  to  5  angled ;  skin,  yellow,  t^ugh ;  pulp, 
yellow,  firm ;  flavor,  subacid ;  core,  indistinct.  A  cooking  banana  of  good  flavor. 
The  tips  of  part  of  the  fruit  often  tend  to  retain  the  dead  styles  of  the  flower. 

IHOLENA    GROUP 

Varieties  of  the  Iholena  group  are  identified  by  their  erect  trunks, 
long  arched  fruiting  stems,  and  small,  or  medium-sized,  bunches, 
rarely  weighing  over  50  pounds.  Individual  fruits  stand  out  at 
nearly  right  angles  to  the  stem,  and  usually  are  angular,  tapering  to- 
ward the  apex ;  the  skin  is  thick  and  yellow  at  maturity,  the  flesh  is 
of  light  pinkish  salmon  color,  and  the  rachis  is  rather  long.  The 
flowers  are  white  or  cream  colored. 

IHOLENA 

The  Iholena  or  Hilahila  (No.  4499)  is  a  favorite  banana  of  the 
Hawaiians.  It  is  well  adapted  to  wind}^  locations  on  account  of  its 
short  trunk,  and  responds  to  good  culture.  The  name  "  Iholena  "  is 
said  to  have  originated  from  two  words,  "  Iho,"  meaning  "  core," 
which  is  colored,  and  "Lena,"  referring  to  the  ripe  fruit. 

Plants. — Comparatively  low-growing,  like  that  of  the  Cavendish,  greatest 
height  being  8  to  10  feet ;  trunks,  upright  or  slightly  reclining,  of  uniform  diam- 
eter throughout,  green  with  occasional  streaks  of  purple  or  pink,  5*4  feet 
tall,  crowned  with  10  to  12  leaves  averaging  6  feet  long;  petiole,  stout,  about 
18  inches  long,  tapering  into  midrib ;  margins,  pinkish  to  brown  line  at  edge, 


Bui.  55.  Hawaii  Agr.  Expt.  Station 


Plate  15 


A.— The  fholena,  a  favorite  Hawaiian  variety  which  turns  a  beautiful  bright  yellow  several 

days  before  the  pinkish  or  salmon  colored  pulp  is  really  edible 
B. — Tfa  irietyofthe  Pojpoulu  groap.     Occasionally  found  growing  in  the  valleys  of 

the  windward  slopes  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands 


Bui.  55,  Hawaii  Agr.  Expt.  Station 


PLATE    16 


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I  I 


BANANA  CULTURE  IN    HAWAII  43 

curved  upward,  forming  large  gutter;  blade.   u_.  feet  Long,  no  to  24  Inches  ai 

greatest  width:  base,  deeply  cordate:  apex.  Long,  tapering,  Light  green  above. 
Lighter  green  underneath;  margins  with  narrow  brown  edge;  under  side  of 
young-  foliage,  slightly  bronze  colored;  inflorescence  stalk,  small  in  diameter. 
but  Long  and  gracefully  curved:  first  bracts.  Large,  Indian  red  outside,  Light- 
ened with  streaks  of  yellow,  glaucous,  inside  light  red.  and  with  numerous 
indentations. 

Flowers. — Pistillate  flower,  13  centimeters  long:  ovary.  9  centimeters 
long,  prominently  3-angied.  often  developing  into  four  lesser  angles, 
color,  light  yellowish  green:  perianth,  large,  many  ridged,  two  of  which  are 
prominent:  light  cream  colored  with  brownish  streaks,  extreme  end  5-pointed, 
all  edged  with  bright  yellow,  middle  tip  broad,  outside  tips  narrow  and  longer, 
intermediate  tips,  short:  corolla  of  one  petal,  white  to  translucent,  delicately 
ridged,  deeply  dished,  much  of  the  margin  turned  inward,  dimpled  below 
apicula,  which  is  broad,  prominent,  and  turned  inward.  3  millimeters  long. 
Abundance  of  jellylike  nectar  in  petal  and  about  base  of  style;  stamens.  5, 
short,  thick,  with  blunt  black  tips,  some  attempting  to  form  anthers.  No  pollen 
observed.  Style,  short  and  stout,  about  5.2  centimeters  long;  stigma, 
globular,  light  brown;  lobes,  indistinct. 

Staminate  flower,  light  cream  colored.  5.2  centimeters  long;  ovary  portion.  1.4 
centimeters  long,  whitish  or  greenish  in  part;  perianth,  whitish,  prominently  5- 
lobed.  tips  varying  as  in  pistillate  flower,  but  all  smaller,  margins  yellow : 
single  petal,  white  to  irridescent.  bladdery,  depressed  below  broadly  pointed 
apicula  :  stamens.  5.  white,  longer  than  pistil  and  perianth ;  anthers,  curved 
and  with  brownish  margins.  No  pollen  grains  present.  Style,  white,  with 
small,  rudimentary  light  buff  stigma.  Abundance  of  clear  jellylike  nectar  in 
petal  and  about  base  of  style. 

Fruit. — Bunches,  rather  small.  6  to  9  hands,  rachis  extending,  sheds  neutral 
and  staminate  flowers  and  bracts,  which  are  red.  glaucous,  inside  bright  red ; 
terminal  bud.  small  and  tapering:  fruits  arranged  loosely  and  stand  out  almost 
at  right  angles  from  the  rachis ;  individual  fruits  SMj  to  6%  inches  long,  plump 
in  middle,  tapering  to  ends,  light  green  turning  to  yellow  before  ripening,  3  to 
4  angled,  apex  prominently  beaked ;  skin,  thin;  pulp,  firm,  light  salmon  pink: 
core,  distinct :  flavor,  subacid.  A  cooking  banaua,  but  eaten  raw  when  fully 
mature  (pi.  15.  A). 

KAPUA    OR    PUAPUAXUI 

The  Kapua  (Xo.  4759),  like  some  other  varieties,  is  known  by 
different  names  in  different  localities,  causing  it  to  be  sometimes 
listed  as  two  separate  varieties.  Slight  differences  are  not  truly 
varietal,  but  may  be  attributed  to  local  environment.  The  Kapua 
may  be  cultivated  over  a  wider  range  of  climatic  and  soil  conditions 
than  most  of  the  Hawaiian  varieties.  Generally,  the  clumps  consist 
of  few  trunks  which  are  larger  than  those  of  other  varieties  of  the 
Iholena  group. 

Pbn, /.v.— Trunks.  10  to  22  feet  to  arch  of  bunch;  basal  diameter,  10  to  17 
inches:  color,  greenish  with  considerable  pink  overcast  with  streaks  and 
patches  of  rich  brown:  leaves,  9  to  12  to  a  plant,  greatest  length  10  feet;  blade 
one  side  of  which  is  attached  slightly  lower  on  petiole  than  the  other,  18  to 
20  inches  wide,  green  above,  dull  below  :  younger  blades,  delicate  bronze  color 
underneath:  midrib,  a  trough  above,  flesh  colored,  below;  petiole,  about  2 
feet  long,  stout  :  margins  curved  into  a  deep  trough  with  varying  colors  from 
purple  to  pink  and  extending  to  edges  of  the  blade  as  a  brown  line;  flowering 
stem,  reddish,  long,  slender,  and  gracefully  curved  (pi.  10,  A). 

Flowers. — Inflorescence  varies  from  o  to  o  clusters. 

Pistillate  flower.  13.8  centimeters  long:  ovary.  9.8  centimeters  long,  light 
yellowish-green;  perianth,  cream  colored  with  slight  streaks  of  brown  develop- 
ing on  two  dorsal  ridges,  terminates  in  5  orange-colored  tips,  two  outside  Ion-. 
middle,  short  and  broad,  two  intermediate,  small  and  narrow;  petal,  white. 
translucent,  turning  to  cream  color  with  age,  bladdery,  margins  curved  Inward; 
apicula.  prominent,  pointed  with  two  folds  near  the  base:  stamens,  rudimen- 
tary: style,   large;   stigma,  spherical. 

Staminate  flower.  T.!»  centimeters  Long;  ovary.  2.N  centimeters  long,  white 
with   greenish    cast;    perianth,    ridged    lengthwise,    cream    colored.    5    terminal 


44  BULLETIN    55,    HAWAII   EXPERIMENT    STATION 

lobes  tipped  with  orange,  the  two  outside  and  the  middle  ones  long  and 
pointed,  two  intermediate,  slim  and  more  pointed ;  nectar  abundant  and  jelly- 
like;  the  free  petal,  large,  white,  3.7  centimeters  long,  bladdery  but  keeled; 
stamens,  5,  white ;  anthers,  curved  outward,  brown  edged,  with  little  or  no 
pollen;  style,  slim,  white,  changing  to  a  yellow  buff  near  stigma,  which  is 
small  and  6  lobed. 

Fruit. — Bunch,  5  to  9  hands  weighing  30  to  50  pounds;  about  9  to  14  fruits 
to  hand;  individual  bananas  weigh  6  to  8  ounces,  6%  inches  long,  1%  inches 
in  diameter,  slightly  curved,  3  to  5  angled,  more  cylindrical  than  fruit  of  other, 
varieties  of  Iholena  group,  basal  end  pediceled,  three-fourths  inch  long; 
apex,  prominently  beaked ;  skin,  clear  yellow,  waxy,  medium  in  thickness. 
very  tough,  not  peeling  well  until  fully  ripe ;  pulp,  firm,  light  salmon  colored ; 
core,  indistinct ;  seedless ;  flavor,  good  subacid  apple-like.  The  fruit,  which 
is  yellow  for  one  to  two  weeks  before  fully  ripening,  may  be  eaten  raw,  but 
is  most  generally  used  as  a  cooking  banana. 

LELE 

The  Lele  is  distinguished  from  other  varieties  of  the  Iholena 
group  mainly  by  its  slender  trunk,  long,  gracefully  curved  fruiting 
stem,  and  compact  arrangement  of  fruit.  It  is  one  of  the  most 
commonly  found  of  the  wild  varieties  growing  in  the  mountain 
gorges,  but  frequently  responds  to  cultivation.  The  Hawaiian  term 
"  Lele "  is  said  to  mean  "  scaffold,"  where  things  are  hung  for 
sacrifices  in  a  "  heiau,"  or  Hawaiin  temple. 

Plants. — Erect,  18  to  22  feet  tall ;  trunk,  slim,  10  to  12  inches  in  diameter  at 
base,  tapering  upward ;  color,  yellowish  light  green  ;  leaves,  about  8  feet  long 
with  greatest  width  of  blade  often  24  inches ;  petioles  and  blade  surface,  light 
green ;  under  surface  of  young  foliage  usually  of  a  beautiful  reddish  cast. 

Flowers. — Staminate  flower,  6  centimeters  long,  light  cream  color,  with  ovary 
of  greenish  cast ;  perianth,  streaked  with  brownish  cast,  5  lobes  tipped  with 
yellow,  two  outside  and  middle  reflexed,  the  two  intermediate,  narrow  and 
erect ;  corolla,  sometimes  consists  of  more  than  one  petal,  white,  translucent ; 
apicula,  prominent ;  stamens,  5  or  6.  much  longer  than  other  parts  of  the 
flower,  curved  outward ;  pistil,  about  as  long  as  perianth ;  style,  slim,  and 
stigma,  comparatively  small ;  nectar,  a  clear  jellylike  mass  around  the  base  of 
style  inside  the  bowl  of  the  petal ;  the  staminate  flowers  often  have  abundance 
of  pollen. 

Fruit. — Bunch,  compact,  5  to  8  hands;  rachis,  very  long;  bananas  tapering 
toward  both  ends,  5  or  6  inches  long,  diameter,  1%  to  2  inches,  3  to  5  angled ; 
angle  ridges  remain  prominent  to  full  maturity  of  fruit;  skin,  thick,  bright 
yellow ;  pulp,  light  salmon  pink,  firm ;  core,  indistinct ;  flavor,  subacid,  deli- 
cious.   The  fruit  is  used  either  raw  or  cooked  (pi.  16,  B). 

Popoulu  Group 

Varieties  of  the  Popoulu  group  are  characterized  by  their  medium 
height  and  compact  bunches  of  fruit,  the  fingers  of  which  are  short 
and  thick,  without  angles,  and  set  at  right  angles  to  the  axis  of  the 
bunch.  At  full  maturity,  the  skin  is  very  thin  and  the  pulp  is  a  light 
salmon  color. 

POPOULU 

The  Popoulu  (No.  4761)  is  one  of  the  well-known  native  varieties, 
and  prefers  cool,  moist  woodland  regions  of  the  mountains,  but  can 
be  easily  cultivated  at  the  lower  elevations.  Probably  the  best  char- 
acter of  identification  is  the  fruit,  which  is  short,  thick,  and  of  blunt 
appearance.  The  Hawaiian  name  "  Popoulu  "  means  "  ball-shaped 
like  a  breadfruit,"  and  refers  to    the  shape  of  the  individual  fruits. 


J 


Bui.  55,  Hawaii  Agr.   Expt.  Station 


Plate  17 


"52 


ft 


BANANA    CULTURE    IX    HAWAII  45 

The  Popoulu  banana  may  be  eaten  raw  or  cooked.  The  maturing 
fruit  is  tender  and  ripens  rapidly;  hence,  is  a  poor  shipper  for  export 
trade. 

Plant*. — Medium  to  low  growing;  commonly  about  14  feet  tall:  trunk,  green, 
about  8  inches  in  diameter  at  base:  leaves.  7  feet  long,  2<>  Inches  greatest 
width:  petioles.  18  inches  long,  green,  midrib  of  younger  growth  often  tinged 
with  pink:  usually  few  suckers  forming  small  clumps    (pi.   IT.   Ai. 

Flowers. — Staminate  flowers  extend  from  rachis  of  half-grown  bunch  of 
fruit,  each  5.7  centimeters  long:  ovary,  white,  with  slight  greenish  cast: 
perianth,  ridged  longitudinally,  whitish,  washed  with  rose  red  at  base  on 
marginal  portions:  lobes,  bright  yellow,  two  outer  and  middle  prominent,  two 
intermediate,  shorter,  narrow,  and  more  upright;  petal,  bladdery,  but  grooved 
longitudinally  below  apicula :  margins  curved  inward  with  edges  turned 
upward:  apicula.  prominent,  with  several  curves  and  point  usually  erect: 
stamens,  usually  5,  white,  sometimes  a  rudimentary  sixth;  anthers,  consider- 
ably curved  outward  and  with  brownish  margins.  Pollen  present.  Pistil,  some- 
what longer  than  perianth:  style,  slim,  white,  stoutish  at  base;  stigma,  small. 
3-lohed,  and  yellow  or  orange.  Small  quantity  of  nectar  in  petal  at  base  of 
style. 

Fruit. — Bunches  of  medium  size,  compact,  weighing  30  to  60  pounds,  on 
slender  stems.  5  to  8  hands,  with  8  to  10  fingers  per  hand :  individual  fruits, 
about  7  inches  long.  1%  inches  in  diameter,  weighing  about  5  to  8  ounces, 
usually  5-angled.  angle-ridges  almost  disappearing  with  ripeness  of  fruit:  basal 
end  wide,  abruptly  tapering  into  pedicel  about  1%  inches  long;  apex  blunt 
and  well-filled  :  skin,  yellow,  medium  to  thin,  inner  portion  tending  to  adhere 
to  fruit :  pulp,  firm,  light  salmon  pink ;  flavor,  pleasing,  subacid,  applelike : 
core,  indistinct. 

KAIO 

The  Kaio.  or  Popoulu  Kaio,  as  it  is  rather  generally  designated, 
is  one  of  the  leading  varieties  of  the  group.  It  is  not  so  commonly 
cultivated  as  is  the  Popoulu,  but  is  much  the  same  in  plant  char- 
acters and  quality  of  fruit,  being  distinguished  by  its  longer  trunk 
of  almost  uniform  diameter,  and  more  compactly  arranged  bunches, 
with  individual  fruits  set  mostly  at  right  angles  to  the  main  stem. 
The  individual  fruits  are  also  shorter,  but  of  greater  diameter 
than  those  of  the  Popoulu.  The  Kaio  and  other  varieties  of  botli 
the  Popoulu  and  Iholena  groups  are  commonly  found  growing  in 
many  of  the  numerous  mountain  gorges  on  the  windward  sides  of 
most  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands. 

Plants. — About  18  feet  tall:  trunks.  8  to  10  inches  in  diameter,  tapering  very 
little  from  base  to  crown ;  outer  sheaths,  green  with  pinkish  tints  extending 
to  petioles  and  midribs  of  under  sides  of  leaves,  particularly  of  the  younger 
growth  :  leaf  blades,  about  8  feet  long,  with  greatest  width.  20  inches. 

Flowers. — Staminate  flower,  creamy  white:  ovary,  when  fresh,  has  greenish 
cast :  perianth,  slightly  tinted  with  pink  on  back,  5-lobed,  3  of  medium  size. 
2  intermediate,  very  small,  all  tipped  with  yellow:  petal,  white  to  translucent, 
full,  even  margin:  apicula.  small  and  curved  outward:  stamens.  5.  white: 
anthers,  brownish,  curved  outward  and  usually  displaying  some  pollen:  pistil, 
about  as  long  as  stamens,  slim:  stigma,  small  and  yellowish. 

Fruit. — Stem,  slender,  gracefully  arched:  bunches,  compact:  at  lower  eleva- 
tions, average  about  30  pounds  in  weight;  at  higher  elevations,  about  50  to  60 
pounds:  6  to  0  hands.  9  to  11  fruits  to  hand:  individual  fruits  arranged  at 
nearly  right  angles  to  main  axis.  5  inches  long.  2  to  2*1>  inches  in  diameter.  3 
to  ."  angled,  plump,  basal  end  tapering  into  short,  stout,  angular  pedical; 
apex,  very  blunt  and  marked  with  prominent  scar  where  floral  parts  were 
formerly  attached;  <kin.  medium  to  thin  and  with  angle  ridges  oearly  dis- 
appearing  at  full  maturity:  pulp,  firm,  light  salmon  pink :  core,  distinct: 
flavor,  subacid,  applelike.  May  be  eaten  raw  or  cooked.  The  fully  ripe  fruit 
is  delicious    (pi.  l.~i.   P,  i . 


46  BULLETIN    55,    HAWAII   EXPERIMENT    STATION 

MOA   OR    HUAMOA 

This  variety  of  the  Popoulu  group  has  very  distinct  varietal  char- 
acters, particularly  those  of  the  fruit.  It  is  also  distinguished  from 
other  Popoulu  varieties  by  its  tall  tapering  trunk  and  bunches  of 
fruit  consisting  of  only  a  few  large  bananas.  In  the  mountain 
gorges,  where  the  variety  grows  wild,  the  bunches  often  consist  of 
three  to  six  fruits  only.  When  given  good  cultivation,  the  plants- 
often  produce  larger  bunches.  The  fruit  is  difficult  to  mature  because 
irregularities  of  soil  moisture  cause  the  skin  to  split. 

Plants. — Height,  16  to  18  feet ;  trunk  distinctly  tapers  from  base  to  crown ; 
outer  sheaths,  green,  with  pinkish  tints,  which  are  also  evident  on  the 
younger  growth  ;  leaves,  about  6  to  8  feet  long,  the  petiole  portions  being  un- 
usually long ;  the  crown  usually  contains  more  leaves  than  do  other  varieties ; 
fruiting  stem,  very  slender. 

Flowers. — Staminate  flower,  4.6  centimeters  long,  creamy  white,  occasionally 
streaked  with  pink  on  exterior  of  perianth  ;  lobes,  tipped  with  yellow ;  petal, 
whitish,  surface  often  depressed ;  apicula,  long,  with  several  folds  ;  stamens,  5 ; 
anthers,  rather  dark  at  maturity ;  pistil,  about  as  long  as  perianth ;  style,  slim  ; 
stigma,  small  and  dark. 

Fruit. — Oblong,  nearly  as  great  in  diameter  as  in  length,  about  Sy2  by  5 
inches,  very  plump  at  both  base  and  apex ;  skin,  golden  yellow,  very  thin  ;  pulp, 
firm,  pinkish  yellow ;  seedless ;  core,  distinct ;  flavor,  sweet  and  delicious.  It 
may  be  eaten  raw  or  cooked  (pi.  17,  B). 

Unclassified 


The  Maia-oa  (No.  5091)  is  an  ornamental  variety  which  was  prob- 
ably introduced  in  seed  form  by  the  ancient  Hawaiians  for  some 
medicinal  purpose.  The  fruit  is  very  small  and  unsuited  for  use  as 
a  food.  The  variety  is  of  value  to  the  banana  breeder,  because  a 
portion  of  its  flowers  are  perfect  and  through  self-pollination  pro- 
duce seeds  becoming  viable  in  the  mature  fruit.  The  staminate 
flowers  produce  an  abundance  of  pollen,  which  also  may  be  used  in 
crossbreeding  banana  varieties.  The  Maia-oa  is  probably  a  distinct 
species. 

Plants. — In  good  culture  the  plant  may  reach  18  feet  high;  trunk,  erect, 
slender,  varying  from  8  to  12  feet  long  and  tapering  upward;  outer,  sheath 
coverings,  dull  green,  considerably  washed  and  splotched  with  purplish  to 
dark-brown  colors ;  patches  of  dark  brown  usually  at  base  of  petioles  ;  leaves, 
5  to  10  feet  long,  greatest  width,  10  to  14  inches ;  petioles,  washed  with  reddish 
brown,  shallow  groove  above ;  prominent  margins,  turned  outward,  reflexed,  and 
terminate  unevenly  in  the  margins  of  blades;  blade,  oblong  to  lanceolate,  under 
side  beautifully  colored  with  bronze  and  purplish  red,  changeable  with  the  leaf 
movement  in  the  breeze,  dull  green  above,  with  irregular  blotches  of  reddish 
brown  ;  apex  of  young  leaf,  while  still  rolled,  terminates  in  long,  twisted  lash 
falling  away  as  blade  expands. 

Flowers. — Ovary  of  pistillate  flower,  about  5  centimeters  long,  4  to  5  angled, 
tapering  at  both  ends;  the  cluster  usually  consists  of  7  hands,  with  13  or  14 
flowers  each  ;  bracts,  small,  pale  red,  or  brownish  outside,  gray,  with  slight 
tinges  of  red  inside;  perianth,  3  to  3.5  centimeters  long,  delicately  ridged  length- 
wise, whitish  to  rich  cream  color,  5  tips  small,  reflexed,  bright  yellow.  2  out- 
ward, slim,  middle,  broad,  2  intermediate  much  smaller;  style  and  stigma,  about 
as  long  as  perianth,  cream  colored  ;  stigma,  oblong  and  saadiu;;  to' dark  yellow; 
petal,  1.8  centimeters  long,  full,  smooth,  iridescent ;  slight  dimple  below  angular 


BANANA    CULTURE    IX    HAWAII  47 

apicula ;  usually  abundance  of  jellylike  nectar;  stamens,  5,  with  cream-colored 
filaments,  clubbed;  anthers,  broad,  rather  lavender  colored  when  new;  pollen, 
white,  abundant,  and   massed;   staminate   flowers,   very   similar  to  pistillate, 

except  for  their  smaller,  rudimentary  ovary. 

Fruit. — Bunch,  small,  open.  7  hands  of  about  13  fruits  cadi:  unedible.  The 
first  two  or  three  hands  have  fertile  seeds,  the  remainder  arc  undeveloped. 
Seeded  fruits.  2%  to  3  inches  long;  diameter  five-eighths  inch,  curved.  -1  or  •"» 
angled,  becoming  distinct  with  maturity:  color,  green;  skin,  hard:  pulp  or 
flesh,  a  tough  placenta  which  is  filled  with  hard,  flattened  seeds  that  germinate 
in  about  4  weeks. 

LITERATURE  CITED 

(1  i    Anonymous. 

1894.  Species   and   principal   varieties   of    musa.     Kew    Bui.    1804: 
229-314,  illus.     (Reprinted  Kew  Bui.  acid.  ser.  6.     1906.) 

(2)  

1911.  A  prolific  banana.     Gard.  Chron.      (Ill)   50:  4."»2. 
(•3)   Back.  E.  A.,  and  Pembebton,  C.  E. 

1010.  Banana   as  a  host  fruit  of   the   mediterranean   fruit  fly. 
Jour.  Agr.  Research.       5:  793-804,  illus. 

(4)  and  Pembebton,  C.  E. 

1018.  The   mediterranean  fruit  fly  in  Hawaii.     U.   S.   Dept.   Agr. 
Bui.  530,  119  pp.,  illus. 

(5)  Bailey.  L.  H. 

l'.ioi.  The   horticulturist's  rule-book.     Ed.  3,  312  pp.,     New  York. 

(6)  Baker.  J.  G. 

1893.    A    SYNOPSIS    OF    THE    GENERA    AND    SPECIES    OF    MUSE.E.       Ann.    Bot. 

7:  1S0-222. 

(7)  Carpenter.  C.  W. 

1010.  Report    of    the   division    of   plant   pathology'.     Hawaii    Agr. 
Exp.   Sta.  Rpt.     1018:  35-45.  illus. 

(8)  Colt,  J.,  and  Hodgson.  R.  W. 

1010.  An  investigation  of  the  abnormal  shedding  of  young  fruits 

OF    THE    WASHINGTON    NAVEL   ORANGE.       Calif.    Univ.    PUDS.,    AgT. 

Sci.     3:   283-308.   illus. 

(9)  DOHERTY,    W.    M. 

1892.  The  analysis  of  the  cavendish  banana  i  musacavendishii)  in 
relation  to  its  value  as  a  food.     ('hem.  News.     00:  338. 

(10)  Fawcett,  TV.,  and  Harris.  W. 

1901.  Historical    notes   on   economic  plants   in   Jamaica.     Jamaica 
Bui.  Bot.  Dept.     (n.  s.)     8:  129-130. 

(11)  

1921.  The  banana:    its   cultivation,   distribution,   and   commercial 
uses.     Ed.  2.  enl.     200  pp..   illus.     London. 
(12>    Fraser.  E.  R. 

11H2.  Where  oub  bananas  come  from.     Nat.  Geogr.  Mag.     23:   713 
730,  illus. 

(13)  HlGGINS.    J.    E. 

1904.  The   banana   in    Hawaii.     Hawaii   Agr.   Exp.    Sta.   Bui.    7.   53 
pp.,  illus. 

(14)  IIii.lei:i:am>.    \V. 

1888.    PlOBA  of  the  Hawaiian   islands.     673  pp.,   illus.        Now   York. 
London,  and  Heidelberg. 

(15)  QUISUMBING    V   AbGUELLES,    E. 

1919.  Studies  of  Philippine  bananas.     Philippine  Agr.  Rev.     12  (3)  : 
1-73.  IllUB. 

(16)  Reynolds,  P.  K. 

1921.  The  btoby  of  the  banana     53  pp.,  illus.       Boston. 
(  17  i    Rn  (  iardi.   M.  L. 

1885.    I   i  ill:     HI.    CHEMISCHE    ZU8AMMEN8BTZUN0     DEB     BANANE    HI. I     Yl.i:- 
SCHIEDENEN     REIFEGBADEN.      Bledermann'S    Ontiil.    AgT.    ('hoiii. 

14  :  554-555. 


48  BULLETIN    55,    HAWAII   EXPERIMENT    STATION 

(18)  Schumann,  K. 

1900.  Musace^e.     (Engler,    A.,    Das    Pflanzenreich.     Heft    1,    Bd.    4, 
45  pp.,  illus.) 

(19)  Thompson,  A.  R. 

1915.  The  composition  of  Hawaiian  fruits  and  nuts.  Hawaii  Agr 
Exp.  Sta.  Rpt.     1914:  62-73. 

(20)  Wiley,  H.  W.,  and  others. 

1912.  Official  and  provisional  methods  of  analysis,  association 
of  official  agricultural  chemists.  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.  Bur. 
Chem.  Bui.  107  (rev.),  272  pp.,  illus. 

UNIVERSITY  OF  FLORIDA 

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